paris brest 

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This easy Paris Brest recipe, or cream puff wreath, is one of my favorite recipes to make when I want to create a show-stopping dessert for guests. Made with choux pastry, custard, and homemade whipped cream, you’re bound to love this indulgent French dessert!

Ingredients

for the pate a choux pastry dough

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

for the custard

• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

for the whipped cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting the top of the wreath
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Begin creating the recipe several hours before (or the night before, if possible) by first creating your custard filling. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk with the granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the cornstarch, flour and salt, and whisk again to combine.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat milk until it’s scalding hot, but not boiling. Then remove from heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the milk into your bowl with the eggs, and whisk vigorously to combine. Pour the entire egg mixture into the saucepan, and move the saucepan back over to the stove. With the heat on medium-low, continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens into a thick, pudding-like consistency. Do not take your eyes off the mixture and continue to whisk the entire time. This can take around 7 to 9 minutes, but the thickening will be happen in a flash so keep your eyes on the custard.
3. Pour the hot custard into a large bowl, then add the vanilla extract. Whisk to incorporate the vanilla and smooth out any clumps in the custard. Cover the custard with a sheet of plastic wrap, placing the plastic wrap directly onto the custard. Refrigerate until chilled.
4. On the day you’d like to serve the dessert, you’ll want to create the pate a choux (the pastry dough). Begin by heating the butter, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the mixture has come to a simmer, remove the saucepan from heat.
5. Add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Move the saucepan back over to low heat and continue to stir the mixture until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough no longer sticks to the bottom or sides of the pan. You should be stirring over the stove for at least a good minute or two as you want to make sure there is no moisture left in the dough. Remove the pan from heat and turn off stove.
6. Add in the eggs, stirring very well after each addition. The mixture will look glossy at first when you stir in the egg, but once the egg is mixed in well, the mixture should start looking like a paste/dough. You want to make sure each egg is mixed in well before adding another. This will feel hard to do but just be patient and keep mixing. The finished result should look like a thick, goopy paste. Let the dough rest in the saucepan while you move to the next step.
7. Use a ruler, cake board, or just a large round bowl to measure out a 9 inch circle on a piece of parchment paper (don’t use permanent marker; use a pencil to trace). Flip the parchment paper over so that the side with the drawn circle is facing down on a baking sheet. You should still be able to see the faint circumference of the circle.
8. Use a cookie scooper (or a pastry bag) to place round mounds of pate a choux (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length) along the circumference of the circle, placing the mounds right next to each other so that they are touching.
9. Place the baking sheet in the oven at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then, WITHOUT opening the oven door, lower the heat to 375°F and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the pate a choux is a deep golden hue. Once the pate a choux has finished baking, open the oven door and gently pierce each mound with a sharp knife to let out steam. Let the puffs rest in the oven, with the oven door slightly ajar and the oven completely turned off, for another 15 minutes. Finally, remove from oven and let completely cool on a wire rack.
10. Create the whipped cream by whisking the heavy cream on high speed for 1 minute, until it begins to thicken and the whisk leaves indentations in the cream. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whisk on high speed until soft peaks have formed and the cream sticks to the sides of the bowl.
11. Take a sharp knife and horizontally slice through the center of the entire wreath of puffs. If a couple mounds separate, it’s not a big deal. Gently lift the top half of the wreath and set aside.
12. Use a spoon to scoop custard into each puff’s bottom half cavity. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream on top of the custard. Gently transfer the top half of the wreath back into place and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.