Paris Brest

I love a cooking challenge. So when my friend Barb asked me if I knew about the Paris-Brest recipe honoring the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle event, I was intrigued.

 

 

 

Here's a little background. The race is one of the oldest ongoing cycling events but it started in 1891 when bicycles were heavy and roads not paved (or well). The event started as a race (that stopped in 1951).

 

 

Riders go 1,200 km or a something over 700 miles from Paris to Brest, which is on the east coast, then back. And they do it all at once. No stops. No cushy sleepovers with a fine meal at the end of the day. 

 

 

 

This is a grueling event, with a goal of making it in 90 hours. 

 

 

A little story about the above image -- this is from google, but I have an original of the Le Petit Journal which I bought for Rick in Paris at the Vanves brocante in 2009 with Tara Bradford, who was such a help! In the photos near the end of the post, you'll see my newspaper of this image framed. Rick loved it! I do, too!

 

 

The event is held every four years -- and this isn't the year. But it was the year we decided to make the Paris Best dessert, which was also created in 1891 to honor the event. Because of its energy-building high calories, riders loved it. It is now found in patisseries all over the country!

 

 

We thought it should be in Michigan, too!

 

 

So, the plan was Rick would ride out to Perry, where Barb lived -- about 20 miles away. We'd have a wonderful dinner and our Paris Brest Dessert (or maybe we should call it Perry Brest!)

 

 

Barb got a head start, making the praline creme filling the day before. (Recipe: Cook's Illustrated.) When I arrived we were making the dessert pastry. (Recipe: Sunset Cookbook -- and really, any pate' choux will work.) The pastry is piped in the shape of a bicycle tire -- three layers of pastry with a top, bottom and middle "inner tube."

 

 

 

First, you make a template on parchment paper, tracing the outline of an 8" plate on the paper, spraying a pan and putting the paper upside down on the pan. (8" seems very small -- but it gets much bigger!)

 

 

 

We started making a pate' choux (basically the cream puff recipe), boiling butter and water and then adding flour/sugar/salt. When it was ready for the next step, it looked like this. We had a discussion about who this looked like.

 

 

 

Next we added four eggs, one at a time. (The photo above looks like more than two. That's because we beat them up with a fork and on the first addition, added a little more than we should -- didn't matter!

 

 

With every addition, the eggs looked all slimy. You just beat it till it was smooth, added another and did it again! And again.

 

 

 

Eventually it is smooth and able to go in the pastry bag.

 

 

 

The inner tube is once around. The top and bottom of the wheels is twice around. 

 

 

When done, brush with egg wash, the cover with almonds or hazelnuts (which we couldn't find.)

 

 

And bake!

 

 

When done, it looks like this:

 

 

After baking, slice the two wheels in half. (Why you don't just make one I don't know -- might have to do with the rise.)

 

 

Pipe in the filling on the bottom layer; place the inner tube on top.

 

 

 

Then pipe again, placing the almond-top up. (Beware of overzealous piping! Keep a towel or sink handy!)

 

 

 

Dust with powdered sugar and voila!

 

 

 

Of course, we had to display it and oooh and ahhh! 

 

 

 

Cut with a serrated knife -- it really did look spectacular. 

 

 

 

The curious rider loved it!

 

 

 

And the cooks were very, happy!

 

 

 

I'll be glad to share the recipe -- just email me or leave it in the comments. I have to get the filling from Barby but glad to forward it on. It takes a long while, rather labor intensive. But not hard. And oh, so worth it! And if you decide to do it, tell me and I'll send you a link that goes step by step and makes it much easier to contemplate!

NOTES: The archival photos are from Google Images (thank you!). And by the way, just because you put in a google query for images, like "Paris Brest" doesn't mean the pix that come up are from there -- I've removed it now but a friend pointed out that one of the maps I featured was from WALES!