Baked a Cake

Being love month and all, it seemed only fitting that I make something from the most loved-up country in the world for this month’s edition of Around the World in 12 Cakes.

Created in honour of a famous bicycle race from Paris to Brest in France, this light pastry is made to resemble a bicycle wheel. I don’t think I have ridden a bike since I was about 12 years old due to an unfortunate incident with a houseguest that rendered my bike useless and I am not a fan of watching cycling on TV but maybe this dessert could just change my mind (I might need to jump back on the bike if I continue to eat them)!

Recipe from the delightful cookbook BAKE by Alison Thompson 
Makes 12

Paris-Brest

1 quantity Choux Pastry (see below)
egg wash: 1 egg yolk whisked with 3 tablespoons milk
100g flaked almonds
60g honey
30g pure icing sugar, for dusting 

Filling

300ml pouring cream
60g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quantity Vanilla Custard (see below)
1 punnet fresh raspberries 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease baking trays.
2. Place the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 15mm round nozzle. Pipe 12 circles, each 10mm in diameter, onto prepared diameter.
3. Brush the circles with egg wash, then bake for 35 minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. Spread the flaked almonds on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, until lightly golden.
5. FILLING In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla on high speed until thick. Fold the whipped cream into the custard.
6. Cut the pasty circles in half horizontally and use a piping bag to fill the bottom half with the custard filling and top with raspberries. Place the top of the circle back on. Warm the honey until it is runny, then brush it over the tops of the pastries. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and dust with icing sugar. Keep pastries refrigerated if not serving immediately. 

Choux Pastry
Makes 600g

100ml milk
150ml water
120g unsalted butter, diced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
150g plain flour, sifted
3-4 eggs 

1. Combine the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to the boil over medium heat.
2. Immediately remove from the heat and add the sifted flour.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball. Return pan to the heat and continue mixing over a low heat for 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Ass the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.  You may not need all of the eggs – after adding the third egg check to see if the mixture is thick smooth and shiny; it may be ready. To test, dip a clean finger into the mixture and pull it out, then point your finger upwards. If the peak of pastry stands up straight, the mixture is too stiff and will need the 4^th egg. If the peak folds over slowly, the pastry is ready.
5. Use finished pastry immediately.

Vanilla Custard
Makes 1 ½ cups

3 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder, sifted
3 teaspoons plain flour
250ml milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
15g unsalted butter 

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, custard powder and flour.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean and seeds until hot. Remove the vanilla bean, then pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture whisking continuously to combine. Return the mixture to the saucepan and whisk constantly over a low heat until the custard thickens and boils, then cook for 1 minute more.
3. Remove custard from heat and add the butter. Stir well to combine.
4. Pour custard into a clean bowl and press cling wrap onto the surface to prevent the skin from forming. Set aside to cool until assembly.