The Paris-Brest was conceived in 1891 in honour of a bicycle race, and I have appropriated the recipe as a Christmas treat - because it's also in the shape of a wreath! Of course, it's just the same as a ring of profiteroles, but who doesn't love a fancy French name? This recipe makes 2 wreaths, or approximately 22 individual profiteroles.
You'll need
Choux Pastry:
- 120g butter
- 1 cup water
- 150g plain flour
- 4 eggs
Filling:
- 450ml cream
- Brandy or Kahlua
Chocolate Glaze:
- 90g milk chocolate
- 15g butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons golden syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
First, you need to make the Choux Pastry rings,start by melting the butter with the water in a pot, until the mixture boils.
Once the mixture boils, add the flour all at once and stir it vigorously until it comes together, as below:
Add the eggs one at a time to the mix, stirring well between each egg. By the end of the fourth egg, your pastry dough should be smooth.
Dollop large teaspoonfuls of the pastry in a circle on a lined baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes (you might need to check to make sure the pastry isn't browning too much - cover with foil if necessary) and then turn the oven off and leave the pastry in there for another 15 minutes to let the inside dry properly.
Once the pastry is done in the oven, let it dry completely on a cooling rack.
Cut the ring in half horizontally using a serrated knife (depending on the height of your ring, the tops of the individual profiteroles might come apart)
Whip the cream, and fold in the brandy or Kahlua (if using)
Melt together the ingredients for the glaze, and stir until smooth. Only do this when the ring is completely cooled, because if the glaze cools at all, it'll separate (if this does happen, you can just reheat and stir it until it comes back together again).
Spoon or pipe the cream into the middle, and glaze the top of the ring with the chocolate glaze...
And it's ready to devour! I was pleased to find that no only were profiteroles easy to make, they were completely delightful! I think this is going to be one of my new go-to recipes to impress. Give it a go, and enjoy!
