Paris Brest

A delightfully stunning dessert

This is a simple yet elegant dessert.

Everyone likes pastries and filled with creme patisserie

this is  gorgeous.

There is so much fun in baking to keep one amused and the family, well fed.

Paris-Brest

Choux Pastry:

1 cup plain flour

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) water

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

For glazing:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup (50 grams) shaved almonds  (I used chopped almonds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw an eight inch (20 cm) circle on the parchment paper to use as a guide when piping the choux pastry.  Pipe the pastry onto the unwritten side of paper and place on a baking tray.

In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter, milk, and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball.  Let cool.
When the dough is lukewarm, start adding the eggs, one at a time, and beat with a spoon until it is incorporated.  Continue until all eggs have been added and the dough is smooth

Transfer the dough to a large piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle.  Pipe a 2.5cm  thick ring of dough on the paper 20cm circle.  Pipe another thick ring inside the first ring, making sure the rings of dough are touching. Pipe another dough ring on top of both of the lines, continuing until all mixture is used.  Brush the top with beaten egg. Sprinkle with the shaved or chopped  almonds.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Bake for a further 35 to 45 minutes or until the Paris Brest is a golden brown color, puffed, and crisp. Turn the oven off and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shell dry out for 5 minutes. Remove from oven place on a wire rack and split in half horizontally.  Let dry.

Creme Patisserie

2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornflour
1 whole vanilla bean.

Place the milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan and bring almost to boiling point.  Remove from heat.
Place sugar, cornflour and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk together until well combined.
Pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the egg mixture, stirring continuously.  Remove vanilla bean.
Pour this back into a clean saucepan through a sieve and bring to a simmer.
Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thick.
Turn off heat and place glad wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.   Let cool.

To Assemble:  Spoon the creme patisserie onto the bottom half of the pastry.  Place the top half of the pastry shell on top and dust with powdered icing sugar.

Makes one large 8 inch (20 cm) Paris Brest.










So tell me please,
where would you suggest to holiday this year .... Thailand or Vietnam?

Buon appetito, Enjoy, Merryn

 
 
 

Very Berry Good Cupcakes

Berry Good Cupcakes

Monday mornings are usually my morning for baking.  The children are at school, MOH (my other half) is out working and the house is peacefully quiet.  I had bought a punnet of blueberries on Saturday and was planning to pop them into moist cupcakes.  Gathering together the essential ingredients, I noticed the blueberries had disappeared, most likely on top of the pavlova offered on Sunday.  Luckily there was a packet of frozen mixed berries in the freezer, for exactly these moments.

 
Today when I was creating these berry cupcakes, I was reminded of our neighbour when we were still in infants school.  She was an amazing baker of sweet goodies, going on to train as a home economics and craft teacher for high school children.  Back then though, she was simply 'Barbara' Mum's friend who would occasionally baby sit my brother and I after school at her home when my mother had to work.

What I particularly remember is that when she mixed delightfully yummy sweet treats in a bowl, she would never let us get a spoonful of uncooked mixture.  Thereafter I always played in the back yard looking forward to when her sweet delights were cooked and we were invited in for afternoon tea.

 Wash a home grown lemon, or at least an unwaxed one and grate the zest into a large bowl.
 Mix the zest with 1 1/4 cups of caster sugar, rubbing the mixture with your fingers to agitate the zest and envelope the sugar with the amazing aroma of lemon zest.

 Add plain flour, sifted baking powder and salt along with ground almonds.

Mix all together with spoon and place the frozen berries on top.

In another, smaller bowl,   place the eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and almond essences.  Lightly mix together.

In another small bowl, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add rice bran oil.

Lightly stir the berries into the flour bowl to coat them with the dry powder.
Pour the egg mixture and butter mixtures into the combined flour with berry bowl.
Lightly fold until the mixtures are just combined.

Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcious.
Grease and line cup cake pans with paper wrappers.
Fill to the top of the paper with mixture as these do not rise very much.

Bake in middle of oven for about 20 minutes, rotating half way through to help evenly brown them.
When cupcakes are gently risen and light brown on top, remove and place them to rest for 2 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack to cool.

This quantity makes 16 berry delicious cupcakes.

Berry Good Cupcakes

1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 1/2 cups fine caster sugar
1 slightly raised cup of plain flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
3 eggs
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup rice bran oil (or similar flavourless vegetable oil)
4 tablespoons melted butter

Bake at 175 degrees celcius for about 20 minutes.
Makes 16.
Enjoy!