Blackberry Paris-Brest
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The summer is winding down. The berries have been absolutely prolific this year. Each morning, I wander out to the blackberry vines and pick fresh berries in a little woven basket. I love thinking up new creations to use them for in my kitchen. I have been dreaming about making a Paris-Brest recipe to share with you all for several months now. It has changed from strawberries to blueberries to raspberries… and now has landed on blackberries. Time sure is flying!
what is paris-brest?
The Paris-Brest, a delectable French pastry, boasts a rich history that traces back to the late 19th century. Created in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, the pastry's circular shape was inspired by a bicycle wheel, paying homage to the endurance and excitement of the event. Crafted from choux pastry, the Paris-Brest is characterized by its airy, crisp texture and is typically filled with a luxurious praline-flavored cream, which provides a harmonious balance of sweetness and nutty undertones. Over the years, this delightful confection has undergone various interpretations and adaptations, becoming a beloved classic in patisseries around the world, a testament to its enduring appeal and culinary legacy.
the method:
This pastry is a two-day project. While you can make it work in one day, you would have to start the mousseline creme in the morning and finish the final dessert by the evening. This is due to the creme needing to chill for several hours before it is blended with more butter and piped. Because of this, I like to make my creme in the evening and let it chill overnight or for a couple of days before making the pastry.
I have made pastry cream many times before, but I wanted to try out mousseline creme. The concept is really quite similar to making traditional pastry cream, but it involves more butter and the extra step of cream in butter and praline paste (I used almond paste) after the custard has gone through a chilling period. For this recipe, I am sharing a simple blackberry buttercream frosting that you can make. You can find the recipe for Blackberry Mousseline Creme (pictured) on our Patreon. Each month I share 2 to 3 recipes and videos that are exclusive for subscribers!
The choux pastry is fairly simple to put together. You must warm the paste on the stove and once it has cooled slightly, three eggs are mixed into the dough until it becomes thick and glossy. This is then piped into whichever shape you like best. For a traditional Paris-Brest, it is shaped like a donut. Then, the pastry is baked at a high temperature until it puffs and the inside is dried out.
The mousseline creme is piped in the middle of the pastry. I added some berries for a touch of freshness. It’s a lovely bakery style dessert!
final thoughts:
This treat takes some leg work, if you are used to baking cookies and muffins. But altogether, it’s really not that difficult to recreate at home. I have been working on my pastry-making skills for the past few years but never so intensely as this past year. Our new cookbook, The Cottagecore Baking Book, involves several bakery-style pastries like this. It was a lot of fun to develop and work on! I hope that you enjoy it. It comes out February 6, 2024 and is now available for pre-order.
Let me know if you give this adorable pastry a try!
xoxo Kayla
Blackberry Paris Brest
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp (60 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (130 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) blackberry jelly
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk
- 1 1/2 cups (350 g) salted butter, sliced and divided into 2 portions
- 1/3 cup (100 g) almond paste
- Purple food coloring, optional
- 1/2 cup (116 g) salted butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (30 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Blackberries, for decorating
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs yolks, cornstarch, and sugar until the eggs turn pale yellow and become thick and syrupy, about 3 to 4 minutes. They should leave a trace when you drizzle the yolks over themselves. Then, beat in the blackberry jelly, salt, and vanilla until it is well combined.
- In a medium saucepan, warm the milk until hot to the touch. It should not boil. Gradually pour about half of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking as you pour, to temper the eggs.
- Then, pour the entire egg mixture back into the saucepan and warm the custard over medium-low heat. Whisk the custard constantly until it becomes very thick. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the custard begins to boil, or it has a few large bubbles that pop, it is done. It might also begin to feel very thick and then suddenly thin out again, and this means that it is ready.
- Remove the pan from heat. Place about half of the sliced butter into the hot custard. With an immersion blender or food processor or egg beater, blend the butter into the custard until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Then, pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl, catching any lumps of cooked egg. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap so that it does not form a skin, and allow the custard to come to room temperature.
- Store the custard in the fridge until fully chilled, about 3 hours. I think that overnight works best.
- In the morning, bring the custard back out onto the counter. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. During this period, bring the second half of the butter to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter until it is smooth and soft. Add the almond paste and cream it together with the butter until light and fluffy. Then, add the custard by the spoonful, beating it into the butter mixture, until all of the custard has been used up. The result should be a very soft, almost buttercream like texture. You may choose to color your custard with food coloring, if you would like it to be lavender like mine!
- Scoop the mousseline creme into a piping bag fitted with a French star tip and leave at room temperature. If you would like a firmer custard, it can be placed in the fridge until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set this aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the butter and water to a boil. Stir in the salt, flour, and sugar until it forms a thick paste. Remove from heat and let the paste rest in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Then, one by one, add the eggs. Stir in one egg with a wooden spoon until it blends into the pastry, and the pastry becomes shiny and smooth. At first, it will feel like they will never come together, but they will eventually blend. Repeat this process with the remaining eggs. The final dough should be glossy and thick.
- Scoop the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the choux dough into the shape of donuts onto the parchment paper. I made mine about 3 to 4-inches in diameter, but you may make them any size you want. This should make about 8 pastries.
- Press the sliced almonds into the tops of the pastries and dust them with powdered sugar. Bake the pastries for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until they are deep golden brown and the pastry on the inside has dried out. To help with this, about 15 minutes before they are finished baking, poke them a couple of times with a toothpick.
- Let the pastries rest on a wire cooling rack until they are no longer hot. Then, slice them in half. Pipe the Blackberry Mousseline Creme onto the bottom halves of the pastries. Top the creme with fresh blackberries, for decoration. Then, close the pastries with the top halves. I prefer mine chilled, so I place them into the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
