Paris-Brest

Baked Cakes, Dessert

Created to celebrate the Paris- Brest bicycle race, this cake has become an emblem of French tradition. A puff pastry ring - reminiscent of a racing bike wheel - generously filled with soft hazelnut buttercream. Excellent when served as dessert and accompanied by crunchy caramelized hazelnuts.

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Preparation: 50

Cooking: 30

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: 8 people

Equipments

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Electric Mixer or a Stand Mixer
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Candy Thermometer
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Baking Pan
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Pastry Bag and Piping Tips

Ingredients

For the French Puff Pastry

200 gr Butter
130 gr Water
100 gr All Purpose Flour
100 gr Eggs
50 gr Egg Whites
30 gr Water
4 gr Salt
4 gr Granulated Sugar

For the Hazelnut Buttercream

400 gr Softne Butter
250 gr Granulated Sugar Quantity 1
140 gr Egg Whites
90 gr Deep Roasted Hazelnut Paste
80 g Water
40 gr Roasted small diced Hazelnuts
30 gr Granulated Sugar Quantity 2
6 gr Bourbon Vanilla

Makes: 30cm round

Directions

For the Puff Pastry Ring

Melt the butter in a saucepan and bring the water, salt, and sugar to a boil separately.
Add the melted butter and all the flour when the water nearly comes to a boil.
Knead the mixture for about 3 minutes until it comes off the bottom of the saucepan. Pour into the bowl of the stand mixer and swirl for a few minutes with the flat beater to let the steam out.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, the egg whites (both at room temperature), and the water.
Add the beaten eggs to the dough, letting them absorb well before adding the subsequent quantity. The dough should be smooth and firm at the process's end. To test if the puff pastry is well done, scoop out a small quantity of the dough with a spatula and let it fall back; The dough will have the right consistency when it sticks to the spatula and forms a "V" shape.
Shape a puff pastry ring of about 20cm in diameter on a silicone mat or a greased baking sheet. Avoid over-grease the pan or use baking paper because the puffs may detach from the surface when baking. As another alternative, you can use a Teflon-coated micro-perforated baking pan.
Sprinkle the ring with hazelnut crumbs and bake at 200°C (392°F) for about 30 minutes. Leave the oven door slightly ajar (inserting a ball of tin foil or a knife, for example) to leave space for steam to escape.
Once baked, immediately place the puff pastry ring in the freezer or blast chiller until it reaches about 3°C (37°F).

For the Hazelnut Buttercream

Prepare the Italian Meringue by bringing the water and sugar ( Quantity 1) to 116°C (241°F). When the syrup reaches about 105°C (221°F), start whipping the egg whites with the remaining sugar (Quantity 2). Once ready, pour the syrup into the egg whites and whip at maximum speed until cool.
Whip the soft butter (about 10°C, 50°F) in a stand mixer using the flat beater (or K-whip) with the vanilla and hazelnut paste.
Once the butter is fluffy, add the Italian Meringue in several batches until it is completely absorbed. The buttercream prepared with this system will be incredibly light to taste-pleasing while not being noticeably sweet.

Assembly

Remove the puff pastry ring from the refrigerator, cut it in half, and fill it generously with hazelnut buttercream using a pastry bag with a star-shaped piping tip
Top with the second ring and sprinkle lightly with icing sugar. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.