Paris Brest Choux

This is a French dessert sold in many pastry shops resembling the all important 1200 km bicycle race from Paris to Brest and back to Paris. The shape represents the wheel, the white icing sugar the daytime and cocoa powder night time.

Ingredients

Choux pastry (recipe)

Vanilla custard

Whipped cream

Strawberries

Icing sugar

Cocoa powder

Method

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Make a choux pastry and put in a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe mixture onto lightly greased baking trays and bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes. Allow cooling and cut horizontal separating top from bottom. Fill with custard on the bottom piece and some cream on top. Cut some strawberries and place on the cream. Place the choux lids in a long row on a kitchen bench and cover half with a piece of paper. Dust with some cocoa powder and place the piece of paper over the cocoa powder. Dust the other half with icing sugar and serve.

Note: For more flavour and texture add some toasted chopped nuts to the custard or sprinkle some almond flakes on the choux ring before baking.