PARIS BREST

During a trip to Bangalore we went for dinner to a place called Sunny's.  It was a trip after to Bangalore after some 15 years and how has the city changed.  

Everything we ate was excellent.  The highlight of the evening was the Paris Brest.  It was just wonderful and I had to make this once we came back.  

The Paris Brest is a celebration cake made for a 1200 kilometer bicycle race that goes from Paris to Brest and back to Paris.  It is a choux pastry filled with a praline caramel creme and topped with nuts made in the shape of a wheel to honour the race.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY1/2 cup oil or butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs

FOR GLAZE

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup Flaked Almonds

FOR THE CARAMEL

50 g sugar

3 tbsp. water 
50 g salted butter

2 cups Whipped Cream

METHOD

1. In a saucepan melt butter / oil in boiling water.  
2. Add flour and salt all at once,  Stir vigorously till the mix forms a ball that does'nt separate
3. Remove from heat.  Cool slightly. 
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, till smooth.
5. Draw an 8 inch circle on a piece of parchment. 
6. Transfer the dough to a large piping bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe a 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick ring of dough just inside the circle that is drawn on the parchment paper. 
7. Pipe another 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick ring inside the first ring, making sure the rings of dough are touching. 
8. Pipe a final ring of dough on top, along the center seam between the first two rings of dough.
9. With moistened fingertips, gently smooth the rings of dough. 
10. With a pastry brush, gently brush the glaze on the top and sides of the dough. 
11. Sprinkle with the shaved almonds. 
12. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F [200 C].
13. Reduce to 170 C and bake another 10 min.

Meanwhile prepare the caramel with salted butter cream

1. Melt the sugar with water in a heavy bottom saucepan till it changes colour.  Do not stir once the sugar has melted.  
2. Remove from heat and add in salted butter and whisk well to mix. 

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Split the pastry shell in half horizontally and remove any wet pieces of dough. 
2. Keep a couple of tablespoons of caramel aside and spread the balance over the shell
3. Spoon (or pipe) the whipped cream into the hollow center of the shell. 
4. Place the top half of the pastry shell on the whipped cream and dust with powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar.
5. Drizzle the balance caramel on top of the shell