Paris-Brest Recipe

Craquelin: In the bowl of a mixer with the flat whisk or, if not available, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and sea salt. Add the softened butter and knead for a few minutes at medium speed to obtain a smooth dough. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3/4 mm on a silicone mat and cut out 8 disks measuring 3 or 4 cm in diameter, depending on the size of your pastries. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 180°C (static heat). Bring water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil. Off the heat, add the sifted flour all at once. Return to the heat and dry out on low heat with a spatula for 2 minutes until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pot. Place the dough in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix a bit to cool it down before gradually incorporating the lightly beaten eggs on medium speed, waiting for the mixture to be well combined before each addition. Stop mixing when it has a glossy appearance. A line traced with a finger in the dough should close up. Pipe 8 choux of 4 cm in diameter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the disks of topping on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes without opening the oven. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Mousseline cream with praline: Sift the flour and cornstarch. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and egg yolks, then add the flours. Bring the milk to a boil with the seeds from the vanilla pod, mix half of it with the contents of the mixing bowl, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Thicken over heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool at room temperature. In the bowl of a mixer, whip the softened butter until creamy, add the praline, then gradually incorporate the smooth pastry cream and allow it to rise.

The praline insert: Pour the praline into 3 cm diameter half-sphere molds and freeze.

To finish the assembly: cut through the crown. Pipe a bit of praline cream into the base of each of the 8 cavities, place a half sphere of frozen praline on top, and finish with a layer of praline cream. Cover with the top of the crown and dust with powdered sugar.