Paris Brest Custard Cake Food

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a small pan containing about 2-3 cups of hot water onto the bottom of your oven ( directly onto the bottom of the oven) to generate steam. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with shortening and then dust lightly with flour. Use a 10 inch pan as a template and draw a 10 inch circle onto the flour dusted sheet using a toothpick. Set aside.
• Place the 4 eggs into a small measuring cup and mix with a fork to combine, set aside.
• Combine the milk, water, salt and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a full boil, add the flour all at once and stir to make a paste. Continue to stir over the heat for about 40 seconds until the paste dries a little. Remove from heat and place paste into a mixing bowl. Let cool about 4 minutes.
• With a mixer on low, mix the paste and slowly add the beaten eggs. Mix slowly but thoroughly until all of the eggs have been added. Place the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round decorating tip. Pipe the paste out onto the sheet pan following the 10 inch ring you outlined. Pipe a second ring around the inside next to this ring. Finally, pipe another ring on top of these two rings. Lightly paint the set of rings with the remaining 1 beaten egg and press the sliced almonds into the paste.
• Place in the oven on the lowest shelf and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake about 12 minutes more or until brown. Remove form the oven and using a long serrated knife slice off the top half of the puffed ring. Remove any bits of raw dough on the inside of the ring. Replace the top and place back in the oven to crisp the dough, about 5 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• To Make The Filling: Whip the pastry cream until smooth. Place the heavy cream into a bowl along with the vanilla and beat on high until soft peaks are formed. Add in the confectioners' sugar and beat a little more. Fold the pastry cream in with the whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the cream mixture into the ring and then replace the top. If you wish, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• To make the choux, tip the butter into a small saucepan with 100ml water, the caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then, still over the heat, add the flour, beating vigorously until the mixture clumps and comes together into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan until just warm. Gradually beat in all but about 1 tsp of the egg using an electric whisk. Tip the pastry into a piping bag.
• Heat the oven 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trace a 10cm circle on a piece of baking parchment using a small bowl or lid, then flip it over onto a baking tray. Pipe a thick ring of the pastry around the outside of the circle. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg, then scatter over the almonds. Bake for 15 mins, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake for 20 mins more. Reduce the oven again to 110C/ 90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a final 10 mins. Turn off the oven and leave the ring to cool inside for 30 mins without opening the oven door.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Gently warm the custard in a small pan over a low heat, then stir in the dark chocolate, continuing to stir until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is thick. Scrape into a bowl and leave to cool. Whisk the chantilly cream ingredients together in a separate bowl until very thick and chill until needed.
• Carefully halve the choux ring through the middle using a serrated knife, and gently lift off the top. Spoon the chocolate filling into a piping bag and pipe large blobs over the bottom ring, leaving a gap between each. Put the chantilly mixture in a second piping bag and pipe blobs in the gaps between the chocolate filling. Carefully sandwich with the top of the ring, then dust lightly with the icing sugar and serve.