PARIS BREST RECIPES

Steps:

• Male the pastry wreath: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trace a 9-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment. Flip parchment, making sure pencil mark is still visible, and place on a baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour until combined.
• Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and waiting until each is entirely incorporated before adding the next egg. Use immediately.
• Transfer pate a choux dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe a tiny dot under each corner of parchment, pressing to adhere parchment to baking sheet. Then pipe dough, tracing outline, into sixteen 1 3/4-inch mounds, holding pastry bag upright and keeping pressure consistent.
• Whisk remaining egg with pinch salt. Brush egg over top of pastry wreath.
• Bake until pastry just starts to puff, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until pastry is fully puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Turn oven off, remove wreath, and pierce top and sides about 8 times using the tip of a sharp knife to release steam. Return to oven, and prop door open with a wooden spoon. Let stand for 1 hour to dry.
• Transfer pastry wreath on parchment to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
• Fill and decorate the pastry wreath: Whisk heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Separate pastry wreath into top and bottom halves using a serrated knife.
• Spread about 1 1/2 cups pastry cream over bottom ring. Pipe whipped cream in a swirl using 1/2-inch closed star tip. Reposition top pieces of pastry wreath over filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to hot (400 F.) PREPARE CREAM PUFF DOUGH: Grease and flour 2 baking sheet.
• Using an 8-inch round cake pan as a guide, mark an 8-inch circle in the center of 1 of the prepared baking sheets.
• Combine the water, butter, orange zest and salt in a medium-size saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to boiling.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Immediately beat in the flour with a wooden spoon.
• Return the saucepan to low heat, and continue beating with the wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the saucepan.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Continue to beat the dough until it is shiny.
• Scrape the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch plain tip.
• Holding the bag at a 45 degree angle, pipe a dough ring on top of the circle outline on the baking sheet.
• Pipe another dough ring inside and right next to the first ring.
• Pipe a third ring on top of the first two dough rings to cover the seam where they touch.
• With the remaining dough, pipe small puffs on the second baking sheet.
• Bake the pastry ring and puffs in the preheated hot oven 400 F.
• for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the ring and puffs are browned and crisp.
• Cut a small slit in each puff, and several slits in the ring to release the steam.
• Remove the ring and puffs to wire racks to cool.
• Cut the ring and puffs in half horizontally, and set them aside.
• PREPARE THE ORANGE CREAM FILLING: Beat the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners Icing sugar until firm peaks form.
• Gently stir in the orange-flavored liqueur.
• cover the bowl, and refrigerate the filling.
• PREPARE THE CARAMEL GLAZE: Combine the granulated sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to boiling.
• Cook, without stirring, until the glaze is light amber and a candy thermometer inserted in the glaze registers 350 F.
• Seat the saucepan in a larger pan of cold water until the candy thermometer registers 240 F.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE PARIS BREST, spoon some of the filling into the bottom half of each PUFF.
• Place the BOTTOM HALF of the pastry RING on a serving plate, and spoon the remaining filling into the bottom half of the ring.
• Using a fork, dip the outside TOP HALF of each puff into the glaze,* and place the glazed puff tops on a wire rack to set.
• Place the TOP HALF of the pastry RING on the filled bottom half.
• Place the glazed puff TOPS on the filled puff BOTTOMS.
• Set the filled puffs on top of the filled ring.
• Using a small spoon, drizzle the remaining glaze over the filled ring.
• Serve immediately.
• *NOTE:If the glaze in the saucepan hardens, reheat it briefly in a microwave oven, or in the saucepan over hot water.