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Île-de-France
Paris-Brest
A choux pastry bicycle wheel, invented to celebrate the convicts of the road between Paris and Brest.
Pastry or bakery speciality from Île-de-France.
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AI-generated illustration
Île-de-France
A choux pastry bicycle wheel, invented to celebrate the convicts of the road between Paris and Brest.
Pastry or bakery speciality from Île-de-France.
AI-generated illustration
In 1891, the journalist Pierre Giffard, editor-in-chief of Petit Journal, launched the Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race, an event of nearly 1,200 kilometres to be completed without interruption. The first winner, Charles Terront, completed it in 71 hours and 22 minutes without sleeping. The event was only run seven times before coming to an end in 1951, before being revived every four years in the form of a cycle-touring event.
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It was against this backdrop that pastry chef Louis Durand, established in Maisons-Laffitte (Yvelines) with his wife Marie since 1907, invented a cake shaped like a bicycle wheel in 1910, in homage to the race. He composed it of choux pastry filled with praline cream and scattered with flaked almonds. Today, Pâtisserie Durand claims to be the sole custodian of the original recipe.
Maison Durand has been passed down from generation to generation since its founding in 1907: from Louis and Marie to Paul and Suzanne, and on to its current directors, direct descendants of the creator. One hundred and ten years after its creation, the pâtisserie still exists at the same address in Maisons-Laffitte, and the speciality remains renowned enough in the Yvelines for visitors to make the detour to the shop just to taste it.
Appearance
A golden ring of choux pastry, sliced horizontally in half, generously filled with praline cream and dusted with icing sugar, the top crown scattered with toasted flaked almonds.
Aroma
Scent of toasted praline and freshly baked choux pastry.
Taste
Intense and indulgent praline, softened by the choux pastry; the flaked almonds bring a toasted note.
Texture
Contrast between the crispness of the choux pastry and almonds, and the smoothness of the mousseline praline cream.
prepared then piped into a ring, scattered with flaked almonds before baking in the oven.
the ring is reassembled, with the praline cream clearly visible between the two halves, and dusted with icing sugar.
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The Paris-Brest is enjoyed chilled, at chilled display-cabinet temperature, as an end-of-meal dessert or for an afternoon snack. Its richness calls for a coffee or tea to balance the power of the praline.
The Paris-Brest does not hold any official quality mark (PDO (AOP), AOC, PGI (IGP), TSG (STG), Label Rouge or Organic): it is a pastry recipe made throughout France, with no product specification or protected production area.
Artisan
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