Paris-Brest: The Classic French Dessert Everyone Loves
Paris-Brest (pronounced pah-ree brest) is a classic French pastry that looks impressive yet is surprisingly achievable at home. Made from crisp almond-topped choux pastry and filled with a rich praline crème mousseline, this dessert is a perfect balance of lightness and indulgence.
The pastry is baked in a ring shape, sliced horizontally, generously filled with cream, and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Crisp on the outside and luxuriously creamy inside, Paris-Brest is guaranteed to impress.
The Story Behind Paris-Brest
Paris-Brest dates back to the early 1900s and was created to celebrate the famous bicycle race between Paris and Brest. Newspaper editor Pierre Giffard commissioned a pastry chef to design a dessert that would promote the event and encourage cycling.
The circular shape represents a bicycle wheel, while the piped cream is said to resemble its spokes. Some also note that the ring shape echoes the victory wreaths worn by ancient Greek athletes—making Paris-Brest a dessert rich in symbolism as well as flavor.
Ingredients
For the Praline Cream
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2 eggs
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150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
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60 g cornstarch (4 tbsp)
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500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
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160 g (⅔ cup) butter, room temperature
For the Choux Pastry
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100 ml water (¼ cup + 3 tbsp)
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100 ml milk (¼ cup + 3 tbsp)
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A pinch of salt
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A pinch of sugar
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80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
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120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
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4 eggs, room temperature
For Decorating
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Sliced almonds
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Powdered sugar
