Paris Brest

This round pastry, in the form of a wheel, was created in 1910 by Chef Louis Durand to commemorate the Paris–Brest bicycle race. Its circular shape is representative of a wheel. This iconic pastry is now found in patisseries all over France. The original Paris-Brest is filled with hazelnut mousseline; a buttered hazelnut pastry cream. This gourmet version has met a few upgrades. The pate a choux is topped and baked with a crusty chocolate crumble. I chose diplomate cream over mousseline; a pastry cream enlightened with mascarpone and whipped cream, offering a better mouthfeel and texture. The whole pastry wheel is then layered with a gooey hazelnut praliné, and soft caramel.