Praline Cream Puff Wreath
Instructions:
Also known as Paris-Brest (named in honor of the bicycle race between Paris and the city of Brest in Brittany), this is cream-puff dough baked in the shape of a bicycle wheel. It makes a festive dessert at Christmas. 2 cups milk 3 large egg yolks 2â„3 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Choux Pastry
1â„4 cup water 1â„3 cup sliced natural almonds, toasted 1 cup heavy or whipping cream 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for dusting
Makes 12 servings. Prep: 50 minutes plus chilling and cooling Bake: 55 minutes
- Prepare pastry cream: In heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat milk over medium-high heat until bubbles form around edge. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, with wire whisk, beat egg yolks, 1â„3 cup granulated sugar, and cornstarch until well blended. Gradually whisk about half of hot milk into egg-yolk mixture. Whisk egg mixture into milk in saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened and boils. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour pastry cream into medium bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate until well chilled, 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, prepare wreath: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour large cookie sheet. Using 8-inch cake pan or plate as guide, with toothpick, trace circle in flour on prepared cookie sheet. Prepare Choux Pastry.
- Spoon dough into pastry bag fitted with 1â„2-inch plain tip. Using tracing as guide, pipe dough in 1-inchthick ring just inside circle. Pipe second ring outside of first, making sure dough rings touch. With remaining dough, pipe third ring on top of center seam of first two rings. With moistened finger, gently smooth dough rings where ends meet.
- Bake wreath 20 minutes. Turn oven control to 375°F and bake until golden, about 25 minutes longer. Remove wreath from oven; with tip of knife, make several small slits in sides to release steam. Bake 10 minutes longer. Transfer wreath to wire rack and cool completely.
- While wreath is baking, prepare almond praline: Lightly grease cookie sheet. In heavy 1-quart saucepan, combine remaining 1â„3 cup granulated sugar and water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, until amber in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Stir mixture over low heat just until it reliquifies. Immediately pour praline mixture onto prepared cookie sheet; spread with back of spoon to 1â„2-inch thickness. Let praline stand on cookie sheet on wire rack until completely cool, about 10 minutes.
- Break praline into small pieces. In food processor with knife blade attached, process praline to fine powder. With rubber spatula, gently fold praline into chilled pastry cream.
- In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream and 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar just until stiff peaks form.
- With long serrated knife, slice cooled wreath horizontally in half; remove and discard moist dough from inside. Spoon or pipe pastry cream into bottom of wreath; top with whipped cream. Replace top of wreath. Refrigerate up to 2 hours if not serving right away. To serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar.