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Paris-Brest with House-Made Praline

Name: Paris-Brest with House-Made Praline
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 245 min
Yield: 1 wheel serving 8 people
Ingredients: 250 g Water and whole milk (50/50); 100 g Unsalted butter cubed; 150 g Sifted T55 flour; 250 g Whole eggs beaten at room temp; 500 g Whole milk infused with Bourbon vanilla pod; 100 g Farm fresh egg yolks; 130 g Sugar and cornstarch; 200 g Piedmont hazelnut 60% praline paste; 220 g Tempered soft butter (at 20°C)

Choux pastry wheel crowned with craquelin, toasted almonds, and Piedmont hazelnut praline mousseline

Aurélie Chen(Pastry Chef & Instructor)

Updated 2026-10-18

Prep Time

90 min

Rest & Proof

Bake Time

35 min

Yield

1 wheel serving 8 people

Heritage & Historical Context

A masterpiece of classic French boutique pastry, the Paris-Brest captivates through the interplay between light choux pastry, crunchy toasted almonds, and the airy richness of a pure hazelnut praline mousseline. Perfecting the butter emulsion into the pastry cream is the hallmark of professional execution.

Crafted in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand in Maisons-Laffitte, it honors the legendary Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, explaining its iconic wheel-shaped crown.

Step-by-Step Laboratory Protocol

4 steps

Drying the panade and finishing choux paste

20 min

Boil milk, water, butter, and salt. Dump sifted flour in off heat, stir vigorously. Dry over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until a white film coats the pan. Cool slightly, then incorporate eggs one by one.

Piping the crown and baking without opening the oven

35 min

Pipe a 20 cm triple-ring crown onto baking sheet. Scatter slivered almonds. Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes without ever opening oven door to prevent collapse.

Emulsifying praline mousseline cream

25 min

Prepare thick pastry cream stirred with praline paste. Cool to 20°C. Beat softened butter (at matching 20°C) until white and fluffy; whip in praline cream gradually to form a silky, stable emulsion.

Slicing, fluted piping, and snow dusting

15 min

Slice crown horizontally at the top third using a serrated bread knife. Spread a ribbon of pure praline on the bottom trench, then pipe generous rosettes of mousseline with star tip. Crown with lid and dust with snow sugar.

Chef's Technical Rules

The absolute secret to avoiding curdled mousseline: pastry cream and butter must be at the identical temperature (20°C).
Never crack the oven door during the first 25 minutes of choux baking or moisture drop will collapse the pastry shell.

Troubleshooting & Solutions

Symptom	Root Cause	Corrective Action
Mousseline cream curdles into grainy clumps	Thermal shock: cold butter hit warm cream or vice versa	Gently warm bottom of bowl with a blowtorch while whipping at max speed to restore emulsion