Chocolate Paris Brest Recipes

CHOCOLATE PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• To make the choux, tip the butter into a small saucepan with 100ml water, the caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then, still over the heat, add the flour, beating vigorously until the mixture clumps and comes together into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan until just warm. Gradually beat in all but about 1 tsp of the egg using an electric whisk. Tip the pastry into a piping bag.
• Heat the oven 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trace a 10cm circle on a piece of baking parchment using a small bowl or lid, then flip it over onto a baking tray. Pipe a thick ring of the pastry around the outside of the circle. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg, then scatter over the almonds. Bake for 15 mins, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake for 20 mins more. Reduce the oven again to 110C/ 90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a final 10 mins. Turn off the oven and leave the ring to cool inside for 30 mins without opening the oven door.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Gently warm the custard in a small pan over a low heat, then stir in the dark chocolate, continuing to stir until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is thick. Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool. Whisk the chantilly cream ingredients together in a separate bowl until very thick and chill until needed.
• Carefully halve the choux ring through the middle using a serrated knife, and gently lift off the top. Spoon the chocolate filling into a piping bag and pipe large blobs over the bottom ring, leaving a gap between each. Put the chantilly mixture in a second piping bag and pipe blobs in the gaps between the chocolate filling. Carefully sandwich with the top of the ring, then dust lightly with the icing sugar and serve.

PARIS BREST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• FOR THE DOUGH: Combine the milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Remove from the heat, add the flour in one stroke, and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Then place back over the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 seconds, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Transfer the dough to a food processor and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl and mix them well with a fork.
• Set aside 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for use as a glaze.
• Pour the remaining eggs into the processor bowl and process for 20 to 30 seconds, until the eggs are well incorporated and the dough is smooth.
• Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking mat, or use a nonstick cookie sheet.
• Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a ¾-inch plain tip.
• Pipe a ring with an outside circumference of 8 to 8½ inches on the cookie sheet.
• Pipe another circle of dough inside and another on top of the rings until you have used all the dough and have a circle that is 1½ to 1¾ inches high with a hole in the center that measures about 5 inches across.
• Do not start and end the dough circles in the same spot, since this can cause the pastry to open at the seam during baking.
• Brush the dough with the reserved tablespoon of egg.
• Using a fork, mark the surface and sides of the dough, running the tines of the fork gently around the circle to create a crosshatch effect.
• Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until browned. (If the pastry begins to brown excessively, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.)
• Turn the oven off and let the pastry remain in the oven for 30 minutes with the door partially open to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before removing from the cookie
• sheet.
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE CREAM: Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• Meanwhile, combine the yolks and sugar in a bowl, mixing them with a whisk for about 30 seconds. Add the 1½ tablespoons flour and mix it in with the whisk.
• Pour the boiling milk in on top of the egg yolk mixture and mix it in well with a whisk.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, mixing constantly with the whisk.
• Boil for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate.
• Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is incorporated into the pastry cream.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.
• FOR THE GARNISH: Whip the cream, rum, and sugar in a bowl until stiff. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• TO FINISH THE CAKE: Use a sharp knife to remove a ½-inch-thick horizontal slice, or "lid," from the top; set it aside.
• Using a spoon, spread the chocolate cream in the bottom of the pastry round, pushing it gently into the cavities of the pastry.
• Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch star tip, and pipe the cream on top of the chocolate cream. It should come at least 1 inch above the rim of the cake.
• Cut the pastry lid into 8 to 10 equal pieces, and reassemble them in order on top of the pastry to make it easy to cut into portions.
• Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
• (The pastry can be assembled a few hours ahead and refrigerated.)
• At serving time, using the separations on the lid as guides, cut through the bottom half of the pastry, and arrange on individual dessert plates.

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Male the pastry wreath: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trace a 9-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment. Flip parchment, making sure pencil mark is still visible, and place on a baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour until combined.
• Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and waiting until each is entirely incorporated before adding the next egg. Use immediately.
• Transfer pate a choux dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe a tiny dot under each corner of parchment, pressing to adhere parchment to baking sheet. Then pipe dough, tracing outline, into sixteen 1 3/4-inch mounds, holding pastry bag upright and keeping pressure consistent.
• Whisk remaining egg with pinch salt. Brush egg over top of pastry wreath.
• Bake until pastry just starts to puff, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until pastry is fully puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Turn oven off, remove wreath, and pierce top and sides about 8 times using the tip of a sharp knife to release steam. Return to oven, and prop door open with a wooden spoon. Let stand for 1 hour to dry.
• Transfer pastry wreath on parchment to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Fill and decorate the pastry wreath: Whisk heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Separate pastry wreath into top and bottom halves using a serrated knife.
• Spread about 1 1/2 cups pastry cream over bottom ring. Pipe whipped cream in a swirl using 1/2-inch closed star tip. Reposition top pieces of pastry wreath over filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a small pan containing about 2-3 cups of hot water onto the bottom of your oven ( directly onto the bottom of the oven) to generate steam. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with shortening and then dust lightly with flour. Use a 10 inch pan as a template and draw a 10 inch circle onto the flour dusted sheet using a toothpick. Set aside.
• Place the 4 eggs into a small measuring cup and mix with a fork to combine, set aside.
• Combine the milk, water, salt and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a full boil, add the flour all at once and stir to make a paste. Continue to stir over the heat for about 40 seconds until the paste dries a little. Remove from heat and place paste into a mixing bowl. Let cool about 4 minutes.
• With a mixer on low, mix the paste and slowly add the beaten eggs. Mix slowly but thoroughly until all of the eggs have been added. Place the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round decorating tip. Pipe the paste out onto the sheet pan following the 10 inch ring you outlined. Pipe a second ring around the inside next to this ring. Finally, pipe another ring on top of these two rings. Lightly paint the set of rings with the remaining 1 beaten egg and press the sliced almonds into the paste.
• Place in the oven on the lowest shelf and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake about 12 minutes more or until brown. Remove form the oven and using a long serrated knife slice off the top half of the puffed ring. Remove any bits of raw dough on the inside of the ring. Replace the top and place back in the oven to crisp the dough, about 5 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• To Make The Filling: Whip the pastry cream until smooth. Place the heavy cream into a bowl along with the vanilla and beat on high until soft peaks are formed. Add in the confectioners' sugar and beat a little more. Fold the pastry cream in with the whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the cream mixture into the ring and then replace the top. If you wish, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE PARIS-BREST WITH WARM CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For Sauce:
• Stir sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep golden brown, occasionally washing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Add cream (mixture will bubble up). Reduce heat to very low. Stir until caramel dissolves completely and mixture is smooth. Add butter, chocolate and espresso powder and stir until smooth. (Sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For Filling:
• Whisk sugar and yolks in medium bowl until thick, about 1 minute. Add flour and beat until well blended. Combine half and half and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in vanilla seeds; add pod. Bring just to simmer over medium heat. Gradually whisk hot half and half mixture into egg mixture. Return egg mixture to same saucepan and cook until mixture is very thick and boils, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into medium bowl. Remove vanilla pod. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to prevent skin from forming; cool completely.
• Whisk filling until smooth. Beat chilled whipping cream in another medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into filling in 2 additions. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead.)
• For Pastry:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Stack 2 cookie sheets. Line top cookie sheet with parchment. Trace 8 1/2-inch-diameter circle on parchment, using cake pan as guide. Turn parchment over. Butter circle lightly and dust with flour.
• Combine milk, butter, sugar, espresso powder and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Bring just to boil over medium heat, stirring until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring vigorously with wooden spoon (mixture will form ball). Remove from heat. Make well in center of dough. Break 1 egg into well. Using wooden spoon, beat rapidly until egg is incorporated and dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Repeat with second egg. Beat third egg to blend in small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon egg for glaze. Add remaining beaten egg to dough and beat until smooth.
• Fit pastry bag with 3/4-inch star tip (no. 7). Transfer warm dough to bag. Pipe 3/4-inch-wide ring over traced circle on parchment. Pipe second ring inside first, making certain batter adheres to inside of first ring. Pipe third ring atop center of first two rings. Brush lightly with reserved egg glaze. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake pastry 2 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. and bake until pastry is golden brown and firm to touch, about 40 minutes longer. Turn off heat. Leave pastry in oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully remove pastry from parchment. Using serrated knife, cut pastry in half horizontally. Arrange cut sides up on rack (pastry will appear moist and slightly doughy inside). Cool completely.
• Fit clean pastry bag with 3/4-inch (no. 7) star tip. Transfer filling to bag. Place pastry bottom on platter. Pipe filling into pastry in large circular mounds. Set top of pastry over filling. Dust lightly with powered sugar. Gently heat sauce in heavy small saucepan. Mix in rum. Using serrated knife, cut pastry into wedges. Serve, passing sauce separately.