Paris Brest with Mousseline Praline Cream

Mini Paris Brest with Mousseline Praline Cream

Choux Pastry: 

 Ingredients:

250 ml water

100 g butter

150 g flour

4 eggs

4 g salt

4 tbsp. sugar

1 Egg wash

Almond Sliver

Pre-heat oven at 220◦C. Line two baking tray with parchment paper.

Combine water, sugar, salt and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from hear and add in flour, stir to combine completely.

Return the saucepan to heat, stir constantly until batter dries and begin to pull away from the  sides of the pan. 

Transfer to a stand mixer bowl, let it cool slightly.

Attach paddle to the mixer, add 1 egg at a time and mix it, Making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Dough will be thick, shiny and smooth.

Transfer dough to a pastry bag and pipe a ring (about 4 x 15 cm diameter), pipe another layer on top of the ring, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with some almond sliver.

Reduce the oven temperature. Bake at 180◦C until well puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about30 - 35 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool. It can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

 Mousseline Praline Cream

500 ml milk

4 egg yolks

40 g sugar

40 g cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

150 g butter, cubed and softened at room temp.

200 g  praline paste

Bring the milk to simmer.  In a bowl, combine egg yolks, vanilla extract, salt, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.

Pour quarter of the warm milk into the cream and whisk until combine.  Pour the cream to the rest of the warm milk in the pan. Over a medium heat, bring to boil and whisk constantly. Whisk until the cream thickens. Transfer the cream into the mixing bowl and let it cool down at room temperature.

Whip the cream with until it smooth and add cubed butter little by little. Add the praline paste, beat the cream until it double the volume. Keep refrigerated until it ready to use

Praline Paste:

200 g blanched hazelnuts

150 g sugar

Prepare a parchment paper, keep aside.

In a pan over a low heat, combine sugar and hazelnut,  swirl the pan until sugar dissolves, and the hazelnuts a fully coated with the caramel. Keep cooking until the caramel turns amber color.

Pour the caramelized hazelnut on the prepared parchment paper and leave it to cool down. Once it cool completely, break the praline into small pieces. In the food processor, process the praline in pulses until it forms a paste. Store in the fridge.

To assemble:

 Cut the choux pastry ring in half. Pipe the praline cream,top with the remaining pastry. Place in the fridge to chill. Dust with icing sugar before serving.