Paris-Brest

The Wheel That Won Paris.

Created in 1910 to celebrate the legendary Paris–Brest–Paris bicycle race, the Paris-Brest is one of the most beloved pastries in French history — and Boulangerie Christophe's version is extraordinary. A ring of golden choux pastry, split and filled with an extravagant amount of praliné mousseline cream — the most intensely nutty, silky, and rich filling in all of French pâtisserie — then finished with toasted sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar. It is simultaneously light and deeply indulgent. There is nothing else quite like it.

The Choux Ring

Christophe pipes his choux in a precise ring, tops it with sliced almonds, and bakes it until deeply golden and completely hollow — the shell strong enough to hold the generous filling without collapsing. The choux is split horizontally with a serrated knife to reveal the hollow interior, ready to receive the praliné cream.

The Praliné Mousseline Cream

This is the heart of the Paris-Brest, and the element that defines a great one. Christophe makes his praliné paste from scratch — hazelnuts and almonds toasted until deeply golden, then cooked in caramel until amber and fragrant, cooled, and ground to a smooth, oily paste that is intensely nutty and complex. This praliné is folded into a classic mousseline cream — a rich pastry cream beaten with European-style butter until light, airy, and silky — creating a filling that is simultaneously rich and ethereally light, with a deep, roasted hazelnut flavor that lingers long after the last bite.

Christophe pipes the mousseline in generous rosettes that rise above the rim of the choux — a visual statement of abundance that delivers on every promise.

The Finish

The top of the choux ring is replaced, then dusted generously with powdered sugar and scattered with additional toasted sliced almonds for crunch and visual contrast. Simple, classic, and perfect.

Pure Ingredients

• Water, European-style butter, flour, eggs, sliced almonds (choux pastry)
• Hazelnuts, almonds, sugar (house-made praliné paste)
• Whole milk, fresh egg yolks, sugar, flour, European-style butter (mousseline cream)
• Powdered sugar (finish)

Best enjoyed the day of purchase. Store at cool room temperature for up to 4 hours; refrigerate if keeping longer and bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Pairs beautifully with a café au lait, a glass of Calvados, or a cup of lightly sweetened black tea.