Classic Paris-brest with chocolate filling

Oven Temperature: 200°C.

Heat the butter and 375ml water together in a saucepan. Bring to the boil quickly. Once the butter has just melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour all at once. Add a pinch of salt.

Return to the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time. The mixture should be able to drop off the spoon easily, but not be too runny. You may not need to add all of the whisked egg. Beat in the castor sugar.

Put the mixture into a piping bag with a 2cm-wide plain nozzle. Draw a 20cm circle onto a piece of baking paper and place it onto a baking tray (alternatively make 4 to 6 small circles).

Pipe along the inside of the circle onto the paper. Pipe another circle inside the first one. Pipe two more circles on top of the first two. Brush with the extra beaten egg. Sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue to bake for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until golden. (Cover loosely with foil if it is becoming too brown.) Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Immediately slice the pastry ring in half horizontally so that the bottom half is twice as thick as the top half. Set aside to cool slightly.

Remove any soft pastry bits that may still be left inside the pastry and discard. Leave to cool completely.

Just before serving, stir the brandy into the Nutella and spread it over the base of the pastry. Add a little milk or cream if it is too thick. Whip the cream until it is stiff, then fold into the custard. Spoon into the pastry ring. Cover with the top half of the pastry. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve immediately.

Text and image: Ideas

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