Mary Berry’s Failsafe Recipe For The Best Paris-Brest

You may have seen bakers struggle to make the dreamy Paris-Brest dessert featured on this Tuesday’s Great British Bake-Off. 

But if you’re anything like me, a delusional part of your brain probably also went: “That looks nice, I could do that.” 

Well, if you want to attempt the precarious pastry, it turns out that none other than GBBO’s former judge Mary Berry has a timeless recipe. 

Sharing her know-how on BBC’s site, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef said: “These decadent pastries filled with praline and cream are like giant profiteroles, perfect for sharing.” 

How does Mary make ’em?

She says you’ll need”a food processor, a piping bag, a star nozzle and a silicone mat” to perfect her recipe, which offers two Paris-Brests (a pair if you will).

She preheats her oven to 220C/200C, lines a baking sheet with baking paper, and draws four 10cm-ish circles on it before flouring the parchment. 

Then, she makes choux pastry by putting milk, salt, sugar, butter, and water into a pan, removing from the heat once it starts bubbling, and ― frankly ― beating the bejesus out of it “until it forms a dough that leaves the side of the pan clean.” 

Then she places the mix back into the pan and heats it for five minutes or so. 

Once cooled slightly, she beats eggs into the dough “until the dough is smooth and glossy,” and then place it in a piping bag. 

She pipes four thick rings into the circles she drew earlier, then tops them with egg wash and almonds.

These should be baked for 10-15 minutes at full temp, and then a further 10 minutes at 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4; dry them out in an opened oven for three minutes afterwards. 

Then, Mary makes a praline by spreading hazelnut-filled caramel onto a silicone mat, leaving it to cool, and whizzing it in a blender. 

She also makes vanilla whipped cream for the filling. 

“Sprinkle half the praline onto the bottom halves of the choux rings, then pipe a generous amount of cream over the praline. Sprinkle the remaining praline over the cream and place the pastry lids on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve,” Mary says.

Why is it called a Paris-Brest to begin with?

Per The New York Times, it was created by pastry chef Louis Durand.

It was named after a bike race that runs between Paris and Brest, a port city; it was even designed to look like a bike. 

The New York Times advises making your praline first, in direct contradiction with Mary Berry’s advice (should we make them cycle a race to determine the winner?).