Hazelnut Praline Paris-Brest with Crisp Choux Pastry
Learn how to make a hazelnut praline Paris-Brest with a golden choux ring and silky hazelnut cream. Tips on toasting, caramel, tempering, and assembly.
A Paris-Brest is a ring of baked choux pastry, split and filled with silky hazelnut cream, then topped with chopped caramelized hazelnut praline. It looks like a showpiece, but each part is manageable when you work step by step.
After a hearty chicken or ground beef dinner, this dessert makes a special finish. The shell bakes until deep golden and firm, and the filling is chilled before assembly, so each component has a clear job.
Toasting and Cooling the Praline
Start with the praline, and give it time to cool before you chop. Warm caramel is soft and sticky, so it clumps on the knife and cutting board if you rush. Toast the blanched hazelnuts until fragrant and lightly golden, because that flavor carries through the whole dessert.
Spread the caramel thin on parchment so it cools into a sheet that breaks apart easily. Chop it coarsely only after it has cooled fully. You will sprinkle it over the shell and, if you like, over the finished dessert.
Building a Crisp, Even Choux Ring
The dough should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold its shape on the spoon. Add the eggs gradually, mixing each until fully incorporated before adding the next. Keep the egg wash off the sides of the ring so the walls can rise evenly.
Resist the urge to check on the ring early. Keep the oven door closed through the first stage of baking, because escaping steam can stop the walls from setting. Bake until the ring is deep golden and feels firm when lightly pressed.
Making a Smooth Hazelnut Cream
Tempering is the step that matters most. Whisk the hot milk into the yolks slowly so they warm gradually, then return everything to the saucepan and whisk constantly until the cream thickens. Whisk in the hazelnut butter until silky, then chill the cream with plastic wrap pressed onto its surface.
Split the vanilla bean and add its seeds and pod to the milk, so the flavor infuses as the milk heats. Later, beat the softened butter until pale and fluffy, then add the chilled cream gradually, beating smooth after each addition.
Slicing and Assembling Neatly
Wait until the ring is fully cool before slicing, since warm choux is delicate. Use a serrated knife to split it horizontally, then pipe the hazelnut cream with a star tip over the bottom half. Set the top back on gently.
Choux softens once it is filled, so this dessert is best served soon after assembly. A final sprinkle of praline adds crunch and a nutty finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my choux ring collapse?
A frequent cause is opening the oven door too early. Escaping steam can stop the walls from setting before they are firm. Keep the door closed through the first stage of baking, and bake until the ring is deep golden and feels firm when lightly pressed.
Why does the praline need to cool completely before chopping?
Warm caramel is soft and sticky, so it clumps on the knife and cutting board. Once the praline has cooled completely, it sets into a brittle sheet that chops into clean, coarse pieces. Waiting makes the job easier and gives you neater topping.
Why should I stir the hazelnut butter before measuring?
Natural hazelnut butters separate, so the oil can sit unevenly in the jar. Stirring it well before you measure gives you a consistent flavor and texture. An unstirred jar can throw off the flavor and texture of the cream.
Recipe
Hazelnut Praline Paris-Brest with Crisp Choux Pastry
A Paris-Brest is a ring of baked choux pastry, split in half and filled with hazelnut cream, then topped with chopped caramelized hazelnut praline. The shell bakes until deep golden and firm, and the filling is chilled before assembly.
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- French
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Servings
- 10 servings
- Prep time
- 40 mins
- Cook time
- 1 hr 8 mins
- Total time
- 4 hr 23 mins
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Ingredients
Hazelnut praline
Choux pastry
Hazelnut cream
Instructions
Hazelnut praline
Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway, until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to a plate to cool. Line a second baking sheet with parchment.
Combine the sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns deep amber. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts and salt, then pour the mixture onto the parchment-lined sheet and spread it thin. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then chop into coarse pieces.
Hazelnut cream
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a medium saucepan with the milk. Add the pod and heat over medium, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the milk is steaming and small bubbles form at the edges. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolks to temper them, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes until the cream thickens and bubbles across the surface. Remove the vanilla pod, then whisk in the hazelnut butter until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Choux pastry
Raise the oven to 425°F with racks in the center and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw an 8-inch circle on the parchment and flip it so the marking shows through.
Combine the water, butter, sugar and kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat and boil for 2 minutes, until the butter melts completely. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. The finished dough should be smooth, glossy and thick enough to hold its shape on the spoon.
Fit a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip and fill it with the dough. Pipe a continuous ring about 1 inch wide over the traced circle on the parchment. Brush the top with the egg wash, taking care not to let it drip down the sides, then sprinkle with the chopped praline.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes without opening the door. Reduce the oven to 375°F and bake for 25 minutes more, until the ring is deep golden and feels firm when lightly pressed. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Assembly
Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the chilled hazelnut cream about one-third at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
Slice the cooled ring horizontally in half with a serrated knife. Fit a piping bag with a 1/2-inch star tip and fill it with the hazelnut cream. Pipe rosettes or a continuous swirl over the bottom half, then set the top half back on. Sprinkle the top with more chopped praline if desired and serve. Cut into 10 wedges with a serrated knife.
Notes
- Cool the praline completely before chopping. Warm caramel is soft and sticky and will clump on the knife and cutting board.
- Keep the oven door closed for the first 15 minutes of baking at 425°F. Opening it early lets steam escape before the choux walls have set, which can cause the ring to collapse.
- Choux shells soften once filled. Assemble the Paris-Brest within a few hours of serving and keep it refrigerated until serving.
- Stir the hazelnut butter well before measuring. Natural hazelnut butters separate, and an unstirred jar gives an uneven flavor and texture in the cream.
Recipe: https://dishwhisperer.com/hazelnut-praline-paris-brest-with-crisp-choux-pastry/
