Every year I like to give myself a little dessert challenge to celebrate my birthday. I like cake, but there are about 20 desserts I’d choose before it – so this year I went with a spin on one of my all-time favorites: Paris-Brest.
Claire Saffitz’s Black Sesame Paris-Brest starts with a classic pâte à choux ring sprinkled with black sesame seeds. I don’t know if I was having an off day or if the choux gods simply had other plans, but I could not get that ring to puff and stay puffed the way I wanted – someone called it a “brest reduction”. After three attempts, it still wasn’t the dramatic, golden crown I had pictured, but by round three, slightly overbaked and emotionally defeated, I decided we were assembling anyway.
Instead of the traditional hazelnut praline cream, Claire fills this version with a black sesame pastry cream, which is divine. I can never find black tahini, so I make my own with black sesame seeds and a little roasted sesame oil, and honestly it works beautifully – nutty and slightly bitter it keeps the whole dessert from feeling too sweet.
The choux ring gets sliced in half, generously filled with that black sesame pastry cream, topped with classic whipped cream, and finished with the top ring. It’s the perfect contrast of texture: crisp choux, silky pastry cream, airy whipped cream, and that deep toasted sesame flavor running through the whole thing.
While it wasn’t perfect, it still tasted phenomenal, and that’s all that matters!
Book: Dessert Person, page 203
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Hard
Store-Bought Is Fine: Black tahini
Recipe not online, but Claire’s traditional Paris Brest recipe is here.
