Paris Brest

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest (orange part of rind only)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to hot (400 f.) prepare cream puff dough: grease and flour 2 baking sheet.
• 2 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.
• 3 combine the water, butter, orange zest and salt in a medium-size saucepan.
• 4 bring the mixture to boiling.
• 5 remove the saucepan from the heat.
• 6 immediately beat in the flour with a wooden spoon.
• 7 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.
• 8 remove the saucepan from the heat.
• 9 add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 10 continue to beat the dough until it is shiny.
• 11 scrape the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch plain tip.
• 12 holding the bag at a 45 degree angle, pipe a dough ring on top of the circle outline on the baking sheet.
• 13 pipe another dough ring inside and right next to the first ring.
• 14 pipe a third ring on top of the first two dough rings to cover the seam where they touch.
• 15 with the remaining dough, pipe small puffs on the second baking sheet.
• 16 bake the pastry ring and puffs in the preheated hot oven 400 f.
• 17 for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the ring and puffs are browned and crisp.
• 18 cut a small slit in each puff, and several slits in the ring to release the steam.
• 19 remove the ring and puffs to wire racks to cool.
• 20 cut the ring and puffs in half horizontally, and set them aside.
• 21 prepare the orange cream filling: beat the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
• 22 gradually beat in the confectioners icing sugar until firm peaks form.
• 23 gently stir in the orange-flavored liqueur.
• 24 cover the bowl, and refrigerate the filling.
• 25 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.
• 26 bring the mixture to boiling.
• 27 cook, without stirring, until the glaze is light amber and a candy thermometer inserted in the glaze registers 350 f.
• 28 seat the saucepan in a larger pan of cold water until the candy thermometer registers 240 f.
• 29 to assemble the paris brest, spoon some of the filling into the bottom half of each puff.
• 30 place the bottom half of the pastry ring on a serving plate, and spoon the remaining filling into the bottom half of the ring.
• 31 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.
• 32 place the top half of the pastry ring on the filled bottom half.
• 33 place the glazed puff tops on the filled puff bottoms.
• 34 set the filled puffs on top of the filled ring.
• 35 using a small spoon, drizzle the remaining glaze over the filled ring.
• 36 serve immediately.
• 37 *note:if the glaze in the saucepan hardens, reheat it briefly in a microwave oven, or in the saucepan over hot water.