Introduction
This recipe is quite an undertaking, much like the croquembouche. While the croquembouche has more work and steps, this one is slightly more difficult due to the elaborate choux ring made. The black sesame pastry cream is absolutely incredible and really makes the recipe standout. The final product is quite avant-garde. The recipe involves making pâte à choux. Only attempt this recipe once you have some baking experience.
Recipe Outline
| Recipe: Black Sesame Paris-Brest | Special Equipment: Pastry Bags, Stand Mixer |
| Source: Dessert Person | Time: 1 day |
| Author: Claire Saffitz | Difficulty: 5/5 |
| Type: Dessert (Baking) | Score: ★★★★★ |
Making The Pastry Cream
Tip: If you can’t find black sesame tahini, you can make your own from black sesame seeds with a food processor.
Making The Pâte à Choux
Tip 1: Claire makes choux for a different recipe in this video, which can serve as a helpful reference.
Tip 2: While the technique described in the book works fine, we found this video to be even better for making choux (we still used the recipe from the book and baking time/temperature; just not the technique).
Making The Ring
Tip: We accidentally used a half-inch opening instead of an inch opening when piping and had far too much choux left over. We made up for it by adding more layers to compensate in a pyramid type of structure. It came out fine anyway! We did not use a tip.
Baking The Ring
Tip 1: Cut in half using a serrated knife in a sawing motion. Get eye level with the ring to ensure you cut through the middle. Make sure your force is exerted parallel to the surface and not up or down.
Tip 2: Lean on the side of over-baking rather than under-baking.
Assembling The Ring
Final Product
Key Takeaways
- Read the tips on making the choux!
- Final Score: 5/5 – The final product looks spectacular and taste delicious. The black sesame gives it a unique taste that complements the sweetness perfectly. This is insane though, so be warned.
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