Paris breast recipe is a French dessert made with choux pastry filled with hazelnut and almond creme mousseline ( Cream mousseline is pastry cream (crème pâtissière) mixed with whipped butter). It is a silky smooth filling so rich and flavourful and the entire dessert is just irresistible.
paris brest dessert origine
What is the story behind Paris Brest or the definition of Paris best? Paris Brest is named and invented by Louis Durand, pâtissier of Maisons-Laffitte, at the request of Pierre Giffard in 1910 for the bicycle race that runs from the French capital, Paris, to Brest, a town in Brittany. Its circular shape is representative of the wheels of the bicycle.
Paris Brest
The first time I heard about Paris Brest was in France hahaha when I was at Lyon at Paul Bocuse culinary institute. As a first-year apprentice, we made the Paris breast recipe and I was instantly fascinated by this dessert. Its shape, it’s filling, and the way it was piped. I remember doing it at school and after becoming a chef I never made this dessert. Because there are hazelnuts and almonds in this recipe which in my opinion is the best combo yummm, it is also known as hazelnut Paris breast and almond Paris Brest
And when I was looking up some ideas and recipes to create for the Vitamix brand. Paris breast instantly came into mind. The reason is Paris breast has 2 fillings called pate de noisette and pate d’amande unless you have a good blender like Vitamix you won’t be able to make it. The reason is, this filling literally with 2 or 3 ingredients turns into a paste and the Vitamix with its efficient blades and speed control can facilitate this process, unlike other blenders.
How To Make Paris Brest
I am not going to lie making Paris breast is quite the effort and requires many steps. But If you are a foodie and keen on some adventurous and nouvelle cuisine, then here is a foolproof recipe. This recipe is a direct copy of my french recipes from school but I had to modify certain ingredients to suit ingredients available in Australia. There are 3 parts to this recipe
Step 1: Making the filling (Praline Crème Mousseline)
This consist of 3 recipes
- Almond praline paste (Pate de praline aux amande)
- Hazelnut paste (Pate de Noisette)
- Creme mousseline ( crème pâtissière (Pastry cream)and whipped butter)
Some recipes combine Pate de Noisette and Pate de praline aux amande and make one recipe called Praline paste, but I will be doing this as two and combining at a later stage. You also can simply buy praline paste and skip making ate de noisette and Pate de praline aux amande.
Step 2: Making the choux pastry
Step 3: Piping the Paris Brest filling
Step 4: Serve and enjoy
paris brest ingredients
Making filling Recipe 1 :Pate de praline aux amande (Almond praline paste)
These 3 ingredients will turn into a smooth peanut butter-like consistency paste
How to make Pate de praline aux amande ( Almond praline paste)
Just like making candied nuts, the almonds are turned into candied nuts, cooled then blitzed in the Vitamix
Making filling Recipe 2 pate de Noisette (Hazelnut paste)
How to make Pate de Noisette ( Hazelnut paste)
Simply blending it in the vitamix will turn this into a smooth paste
Making filling Recipe 3 Creme mousseline ( crème pâtissière ( Pastry cream) and whipped butter)
How to make crème pâtissière ( Pastry cream)
crème pâtissière also known as pastry cream is easy to make and it is basically thick custard
Paris Brest Filling
Now all the fillings made above are combined. But first butter needs to be whipped,then all other pastes are added which turns into a delicious pipeable filling for Paris Brest
Paris Brest Pastry (Choux)
This is the same recipe as a choux, but since the pairs brest pastry have to be a bit hard the quantities and temperatures are adjusted accordingly. You cannot omit any ingredients.
How To Make Paris Brest pastry
The same process and making choux pastry. You need to pipe it in a round (3 rounds) two next to each other, other on top of the two, then dust with sliced almonds and bake
How to decorate Paris breast
Decorating Paris breast is simple ( Please see video for instructions) with a star nozzle pipe the cream in a circular motion.
The Essential Equipment Needed To Make Paris Brest
How To Store Paris Brest
Paris breast is eaten cold and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days but best eaten the day of making it. Like any choux dessert, the pastry tends to get soggy after a few hours with the filling.
You can also check my other recipes here
Step By Step Guide On How To Make Paris Brest Recipe
Paris Brest
Equipment
- Kitchen mixer
- Oven
Ingredients
Step 1:Choux pastry
- 125 ml Water
- 50 g Milk Fresh milk
- 3 g Salt Fine sea salt
- 7 g Sugar White caster sugar
- 55 g Butter Unsalted
- 93 g Flour All purpose
- 125 g Eggs Approx 3 eggs
Step 2: Hazelnut paste
- 100 g Hazelnut
- 100 g Icing sugar
Step 3: Almond praline paste
- 150 g Raw almonds
- 100 g Caster sugar
- 25 g Water
Step 4:Pastry cream
- 250 g Milk Fresh
- 50 g Sugar white caster
- 50 g Egg yolk
- 12 g Cornstarch
- 20 g Butter
Step 5 : Paris brest filling ( step 1+ step 2+ step 3+ Step 4)
- 25 g Hazelnut paste Step 2
- 25 g Almond praline paste Step 3
- 125 Pastry cream Step 4
- 75 Butter Unsalted
Instructions
Step 1:Choux pastry
- Preheat oven to 190C
- Place water, milk, salt, butter and place it on medium heat until butter is melted
- Add in the flour and mix well until it forms a ball. keep it on a low fire until the moisture has evaporated or until the dough forms sort of a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan
- Remove from the heat. Add in the dough onto a stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- Mix on high heat. Add in the eggs little by little, making sure each is combined before adding the next. The Dough should be like a thick paste. (The egg quantity will vary from person to person, therefore you need to make a calculated guess when adding the eggs. If adding the last egg is too much then whisk it and add half of the egg)
- Place dough into a piping bag fitted with a 13 – 15mm round nozzle
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw a circle. Pipe the first circle along the line. The second circle is next to the piped circle and the third circle on top of the two circles
- Brush with egg wash on top, sprinkle sliced almonds on the top, then dust the rest off Make sure to lift the tray while holding the parchment paper as it will all collapse if just lifted and dusted
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool down on a cooling rack
Step 2: Hazelnut paste
- Place hazelnuts and icing sugar in a blender and mix until smooth and until it becomes a paste. This might take 5-7 minutes
Step 3: Almond praline paste
- Place sugar and water in a small saucepan on a medium heat
- Let it come up to 160°C on a clip-on digital thermometer, This will take about 10 minutes
- Once it hits 160C pour the almonds. Mix well and place it on a silpat or baking paper to cool down. Once cool down this will resemble like candid nuts
- In a blender mix until smooth and until it comes to a paste. This might take 5-7 minutes
Step 4:Pastry cream
- Add milk and vanilla to a small pot and place it on a medium fire and let it boil
- In a bowl add the egg yolks, sugar and whisk well until light in colour and fluffy, then add the corn starch and mix well
- When the milk is boiling add 1/4 cup of the boiling milk into the egg mixture and whisk well. once incorporated add the rest of the milk and mix well. Then add the whole mixture into the same pot and keep it on a low fire and keep whisking. The mixture will thicken, then take it off the fire ( Note: you need to keep whisking to avoid the eggs from scrambling)
- Finally, add the butter
- Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled down
Step 5 : Paris brest filling ( step 2+ step 3+ + step 4)
- Place butter in a standing kitchen mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until fluffy and pale (10-15 minutes)
- Add Hazelnut paste and Almond praline paste and whisk further 5 minutes
- Finally add the pastry cream
Assembly
- Once the choux is cooled, using a bread knife cut it into two halves sideways
- Place the Paris Brest filling in a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe the filling in circular motions
- Place the other half of the Paris Brest on the top, dust with icing sugar and serve