…and when was it invented? asks reader Pat. The answer is that choux almost certainly wasn’t “invented” in the classic sense of the word. It evolved, probably through decades, maybe even centuries, of trial and error. The secret of choux is that it’s “double cooked”, a process that imbues it with some very special properties.
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Perfectly smooth, commercially-made praline paste is ubiquitous in many parts of Europe. Here in the States it’s virtually unknown. However once you taste it I have no doubt it will quickly attain a place of prominence in your spread pantheon — alongside nutella, peanut butter, jam and, for you Aussies and Brits, vegemite and marmite. It’s also very handy as a pastry ingredient, obviously. Begin by assembling your ingredients. The praline comes first. Lay the nuts out on a lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper.
READ ONReader Cal asks:
I’d always heard that Paris-Brest is what the early cyclists ate to give them energy for the long ride. Do you know if that’s true? Because it seems to me like an unhealthy thing for an athlete to eat!
I can’t say I know, Cal, but if it’s true that riders ate Paris-Brest to keep them going, it would have been by far the healthiest thing that most of them were putting in their bodies. For the sad truth about early cycling competitions is that they were rife with drugs of all kinds.
READ ONYes, I’m getting to that, reader Jane. The Paris-Brest pastry was “merch” in the popular parlance. Which is to say it was created as a commemorative item by an unknown pastry maker somewhere along the PBP course. Exactly who that pâtissier was has never been definitively established, though it’s popularly thought that Paris-Brest was created for the 1910 race by one Louis Durand, a resident of Maisons-Laffitte which is just northwest of Paris. It’s said that he created it to look like a bicycle wheel. Seems plausible enough to me.
Thanks to the ever-resourceful Jim Chevallier.
READ ON“Paris-Brest.” An odd name for a pastry, observes reader Joseph, and indeed it is. In fact I’m not aware of any pastry with a name quite like it. For Paris and Brest are the names of two cities, one the largest in France, located in the north-central Île-de-France region. The other is a medium-sized port […]
READ ONParis-Brest is one of those pastries that’s made from things you probably already know how to make, just assembled in a different way. The proportions are rough because Paris-Brest is not an exact science. Or perhaps I should say that making it an exact science spoils the fun. Like most classic recipes, there are many […]
READ ONNot very long ago, a regular reader asked if I wouldn’t mind demonstrating how to make praline paste. I put it off since I wasn’t sure what I’d make with it. Then Paris-Brest hit the top of the to-do list — perfecto! This is going to be a high-calorie week. Remind me to put some […]
READ ON…it all took place in the comment fields. This is the danger of having those darn things! I’ll do better tomorrow, I promise.
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A few of you were wondering how my birthday cake project turned out this past weekend. Little Jo Pastry, if you remember, is in a cowgirl phase at the moment. Her favorite character is Jesse from Toy Story 2. Well, I was trying to figure out what sort of cake to make for her party this weekend and finally (thanks to some excellent reader input) settled on a hat cake. Specifically, one modeled on Jesse the cowgirl’s flat-top hat.
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