Rachel's Paris Brest

It’s Finale Week! To cap off an incredible season, we’re featuring Rachel’s showstopping Paris Brest recipe. With a tropical twist on the classic French dessert, this stunning treat is guaranteed to impress.

Watch Season 7 of Foxtel Original The Great Australian Bake Off on LifeStyle or on demand.

INGREDIENTS 

Papaya Chantilly

10g gelatine leaf

125g papaya puree

40g caster sugar

200g thickened cream

Lime Curd

3g gelatine leaf

133g caster sugar

3 limes, zest

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

133g lime juice

200g unsalted butter, cold, diced

Craquelin

50g unsalted butter, soft

50g sugar

50g plain flour

Choux Pastry

55g unsalted butter

55g water

55g milk

½ tsp fine salt

½ tsp caster sugar

100g whole egg, beaten

110g baker's flour

Chilli Salted Butter Caramel

150g caster sugar

100g thickened cream

40g golden syrup

40g unsalted butter

1 red chilli, finely diced

Salt flakes

Chilli Salted Pecan Praline

150g caster sugar

150g pecans, roasted and chopped

Salt flakes

Dried chilli flakes

To Decorate

½ Papaya

4 Nasturtium flowers, petals

Baby lemon balm

METHOD

1. For the Papaya Chantilly; Soak the gelatine in very cold water until soft, squeeze out all excess water.

Place the papaya puree and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the gelatine. Pour into a small bowl, place over a bowl of ice, stir to cool to 30C before adding the cream, mix well to combine. Place in the fridge.

Once chilled, place the Chantilly into the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk it to a medium peak.

Place it into a piping bag with a number 11-star nozzle and set aside in the fridge.

2. For the lime curd; Soak the gelatine in very cold water until soft, squeeze out all excess water.

Place the sugar and lime zest into a bowl. Rub the zest through the sugar to release the flavour. Add the eggs and lime juice, mix well. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the curd thickens and reaches 80C. Remove from heat, add the soaked gelatine, mix to dissolve.

Strain and leave to cool for 10 minutes before whisking in the butter. Place in the fridge to chill, once chilled hand whisk until smooth. Place into a piping bag with a no 11 star nozzle and set aside in the fridge.

3. For the craquelin; place the butter and sugar into a small bowl. Mix to form a smooth paste. Add the flour and mix until incorporated. Place dough between two sheets of baking paper, roll into a rough circle shape, over 20cm, 3mm thick. Place into the freezer to set.

Once set, place a 20cm cake ring on top and cut a circle. Place a 11.5 cm cutter into the centre and cut around. Remove centre piece. It should be the shape of a doughnut. Return to the fridge.

4. For the choux pastry; pre-heat the oven to 230C. Make a template by tracing a circle using an 18cm ring onto a sheet of baking paper.

Place the butter, water, milk, salt and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place over a medium high heat and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and beat in the flour with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and continue cooking while beating the dough, approximately 5 minutes or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.

Place mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to cool slightly before adding the eggs. Place the eggs into a jug, break them up with a fork. Add them a third at a time making sure each batch is fully incorporated before adding more, the choux should be elastic and glossy. It should hold its shape when piped.

Place the choux into a piping bag fitted with a no 17 star nozzle.  Place the template pencil side down onto a baking tray. Slowly and carefully using all off the mix, pipe a ring that joins neatly.

Remove the craquelin from the fridge. Using the paper to stabilise, carefully turn it upside down onto the top of the choux ring and gently peel off the paper.

Turn the oven down to 190C. Place the choux ring on the middle shelf. Do not open the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160C and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the choux is golden and dry. Place on a cooling rack

5. For the chilli salted butter caramel; Place half of the sugar into a clean saucepan. Place over a medium to high heat and leave it to melt. Once melted, sprinkle on the rest of the sugar. Do not stir, instead swirl the saucepan around gently to get an even caramelisation. Once the caramel has turned a dark reddish brown, remove the pan from the heat and add the cream, golden syrup and butter.

Give the caramel a good swirl and return it to a medium heat. Cook to 113C. Add the chilli and a pinch of salt. Pour the caramel into a small deep tray to cool. Once cool, place into a piping bag and set aside at room temperature.

Once at temperature, pour the caramel into a small deep tray to cool. Once cool, place into a piping bag and set aside at room temperature.

6. For the chilli salted Pecan praline; line a baking tray.

Dry melt the sugar by sprinkling a quarter of the sugar into the base of a saucepan and placing over a medium heat. Once the sugar starts to melt, sprinkle the same amount over the top. Repeat this process until all the sugar is melting in the pan and it turns a dark golden brown, immediately take off the heat.

Add the pecans, pinch salt, and chilli flakes. Stir to coat the pecans, once coated tip out onto the lined baking tray. Place a sheet of paper on the top and flatten by rolling gently with a rolling pin. Once cool, take half and smash in pieces, place into a food processor and blitz into a fine powder. Keep the remaining praline pieces to decorate the Paris Brest.

7. To prepare the papaya; peel the papaya and remove the seeds. With a peeler, peel 10 long strips of papaya and lay them side by side on a lined baking tray. Place them into the oven after all the baking is done and the oven has been turned off. This will lightly dry them.

Finely dice a cup of papaya. Set aside in the fridge.

8. To build the Paris Brest; Using a serrated knife, cut the Paris Brest horizontally through the middle. Place the top, facing up on a separate tray. Place the base onto a cake board.

Spoon finely diced papaya around the base in a thin layer. Using 2/3 of the lime curd, pipe in a spiral motion on top of the fresh papaya, being careful not to overfill. Reserve the remaining to decorate.

Using a teaspoon, drag an indent into the curd all the way around the circle.

Pipe the chilli salted butter caramel into the indent. Pipe papaya Chantilly on top all the way around in a spiral motion.

Sprinkle with praline crumbs and decoratively place diced papaya.

Transfer to a cake stand and place the remaining choux on top. Pipe 30 small lime curd kisses around the top. Decoratively place some pieces of papaya between the kisses. Pipe a fine non-stop drizzle of chili salted butter caramel in a zigzag motion around the top. Twist the papaya ribbons and twirl around the top.

Decoratively place nasturtium petals, baby lemon balm and praline pieces around the top. Serve.