Paris-Brest

Ingredients

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Butter (in the choux):

Melt it fully with the liquid before adding flour — the butter fat is what gives the choux its rich flavor and helps it puff.

Eggs (in the choux):

Add them one at a time to slightly-cooled dough. Cold eggs on hot dough scramble, and adding too fast makes lumps. Slow and steady wins here.

Whole milk (in the cream):

Full-fat gives the silkiest, richest pastry cream. Skim or 2% will still work but the texture will be thinner.

Cornstarch:

Thickens the pastry cream so it holds its shape when piped. Sift into the sugar first to prevent lumps.

Butter (in the cream):

Beaten into the cooled cream, it makes it silky, spreadable, and rich — the difference between a good Paris-Brest and a great one. Must be at room temperature, and the cream must be cold.

Sliced almonds:

Traditional Paris-Brest topping — they toast in the oven with the choux to a golden nutty finish. Skip only if you must; they're part of the classic look.

Method

1. 1

   Make the pastry cream: whisk the 2 eggs and 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan until smooth. Whisk in the cornstarch. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until thick and glossy. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Cool completely (fridge is fine).

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Trace an 7-inch (18cm) circle on parchment paper. Flip the paper over and place on a baking sheet.

3. 3

   Make the choux pastry: combine the water, milk, salt, sugar, and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour all at once. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes to dry out the dough (it will pull away from the sides of the pan).

4. 4

   Transfer the hot dough to a bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk the 4 eggs in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the cooled dough, mixing well after each addition until smooth and glossy.

5. 5

   Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe one ring just inside the traced circle, then a second ring just outside it, and a third ring on top of the first two — this creates the height.

6. 6

   Brush the top of the ring with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with sliced almonds.

7. 7

   Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 320°F (160°C) and bake for another 25 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Turn off the oven and leave the pastry inside with the door cracked for 5 minutes to prevent collapse. Cool completely on a wire rack.

   
8. 8

   Finish the cream: beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then gradually add the cooled pastry cream, beating until smooth and pipeable. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip.

   
9. 9

   Carefully slice the cooled choux ring in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Pipe the vanilla cream generously over the bottom half.

   
10. 10

    Place the top half over the cream. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

    

Variations to try

• Fold in praline paste (hazelnut) to the cream for the classic praline Paris-Brest.
• Add a splash of coffee or espresso to the cream for a mocha version.
• Fill with chocolate ganache instead of vanilla cream for a chocolate showstopper.
• Make individual mini Paris-Brests instead of one large ring — pipe small 3-inch rings and reduce bake time to 25 to 30 minutes total.

Storage & make-ahead

Best served the day it's assembled — the choux is at its crispest fresh out of the oven and softens overnight in the fridge. If you have leftovers, store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days; the cream stays lovely even if the pastry softens. To make ahead, bake the choux ring a day early and keep it uncovered at room temperature; make the pastry cream, keep it chilled, and assemble the day of serving.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my choux collapse?

Usually the pastry was pulled from the oven too early or the oven door was opened during baking. Bake until deeply golden and hollow-sounding, and let it cool inside a turned-off oven with the door cracked for 5 minutes.

Can I make the pastry cream ahead?

Yes — up to 2 days ahead. Store covered in the fridge with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Beat in the butter just before filling the pastry.

Why is my cream lumpy?

The butter and pastry cream weren't the same temperature. The pastry cream must be fully cool (from the fridge) and the butter must be softened at room temperature. If it does split, try warming the bowl briefly and beating again.

Can I use a different filling?

Absolutely — the classic is praline (hazelnut) cream, but chocolate ganache, coffee cream, or even whipped cream with berries all work beautifully in a Paris-Brest ring.