Paris Brest with Chocolate Mousse

A cream puff pastry wreath filled with glorious chocolate mousse, raspberry puree and Chantilly cream!

A choux pastry ring filled with decadent mousse, brightened by the zing of raspberry puree creates a Paris Brest of the chocolate persuasion!

There are a few basic tips to keep in mind when making Pate Choux (cream puff pastry):

Follow the directions METICULOUSLY and:

1 - After you have dumped the flour into the boiling water & butter, beat & stir for about a minute over the heat, until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a rough ball in the center.

2 - Cool the mixture down before adding the eggs so it doesn't scramble them. You can either let the dough run in a mixer on low for a couple of minutes or set it aside and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

3 - Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each and until each is well incorporated. (Yay!, this may be done in a mixer - you don't have to use the traditional method which requires a wooden spoon and powerful biceps to achieve success, though if that’s the way you beat out your frustrations, go for it.)

4 - When making puffs or pastry rings, prick the baked choux immediately when done,with a knife point or skewer to let the heat escape. Turn off the oven, leaving the pastry inside to cool gradually and leaving the door slightly ajar by placing a hot pad or a wooden spoon in the frame of the oven door. Leave for about 60 minutes before filling.

5 - If you live in a humid climate as some of us unfortunately do, keep unfilled pastries in the cool, dry oven so they don’t lose their crunch. If filled, store in the refrigerator covered loosely with foil. Do not store in air-tight containers or covered tightly as they will become soft.

PATE a CHOUX:

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon salt pinch of sugar 1/2 cup butter, cut in 4 pieces 4 eggs 1/2 cup sliced almonds powdered sugar

-Heat the water and butter in a large saucepan until the butter melts and mixture begins to boil. Stir in salt.

-Dump the flour into the boiling mixture and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan - about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

-Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl, fitted with a whisk and mix at low speed for about 3 minutes to allow to cool a bit. Turn mixer to medium-high and add eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Beat mixture for about 1 minute after the addition of each egg. (Alternately you can use the traditional method of beating the choux with a wooden spoon, beating well after the addition of each egg.) In either case, it is very important to beat well after each egg. This is what allows the choux pastry to puff when baked.

chocolate mousse

1/2 cup butter softened 2 egg yolks 3 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 7 ounces of 60% good-quality chocolate or 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate and 1 oz. unsweetened 2/3 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract pinch of salt                                                          

-Melt chocolate in small saucepan.  Stir in butter until melted.  Let cool 10 minutes.

-Beat chocolate mixture and egg yolks in small bowl on high speed for 5 minutes.  Refrigerate, covered for 5-6 minutes.

-In separate mixing bowl, beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form.  Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until whites are stiff and glossy.

-Fold egg white mixture carefully into chocolate mixture.  Allow mixture to set for 10 minutes in refrigerator.

-Whip cream until soft peaks form and add vanilla. (you can use the same bowl as used for the egg whites - no need to rinse it out for the cream.)  Fold cream gently into chocolate mixture until mostly incorporated - a few streaks of cream is fine. 

raspberry puree

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries 1/4 cup white granulated sugar 1 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice

-Place raspberries in medium saucepan, stir in sugar and add lemon juice. Slowly heat raspberries over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium and allow mixture to come to a low boil, until berries break up and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

to assemble:

-Spray a large baking sheet or round pizza pan with cooking spray. Cover the sheet with parchment paper with a 12-inch circle traced. Place choux pastry into a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the choux in a wide circle along the lines of your traced circle. If necessary pipe 2 - 3 additional lines around same circle to create a ring about 2 inches in width. (Alternately, you can spoon the dough around the circle outline and with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, smooth the pastry to an even circle about 2 inches in width.) Brush pastry with egg wash of 1 egg white mixed briefly with 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

-Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 365 degrees and bake an additional 35 - 40 minutes longer or until golden brown on the tops and sides. Turn off the oven but leave pate choux ring in oven. Piece the sides of the ring in several places with the point of a sharp knife or a bamboo skewer. Leave in oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon or oven mitt. Allow to sit in oven to dry for about 60 minutes and slowly cool to room temperature.

-Remove from oven and place on wire rack. Slice off top 1/3 of ring with a serrated knife and place carefully to the side of the base of the ring. If there is any wet dough still in the center of the ring, scoop it out gently with a spoon and set aside.

-Spoon or pipe 2/3rds of the chocolate mousse to fill the base of the choux ring. With a spoon create a shallow channel in the center of the mousse and fill with the raspberry puree. Cover with the remaining chocolate mousse by piping or spooning over the raspberry filling.

-Place the whipped cream in a large piping bag and using a large star tip pipe the cream over the chocolate mousse in a circular swirling pattern. Place the top lid of the choux ring on the filled base and chill for several hours.

-Before serving sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Slice with a serrated knife into serving pieces. Serves 10 - 12

Rich, light and airy chocolate mousse.

Pipe whipped cream over mousse layer in a swirling pattern.

Top with lid of pastry and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chill for several hours until ready to serve. To cut, slice gently back and forth with a serrated knife into 2 - 3 inch sections. Serve with raspberry puree or a light chocolate sauce.

A stunning holiday dessert, but a beautiful dessert choice all year through.