Black Sesame Paris-Brest

The Black Sesame Paris-Brest is one of the Dessert Person recipes I saved towards the end of this project because it looks so pretty. While this recipe turned out very successful, there are certainly a few things I would change if I ever made it again.

For only a few ingredients, I ended up having to order black sesame seeds online as I could not find them anywhere (this was not something I thought would be so hard to find). This was one of the first times I madepâte à choux, which I found to be relatively easy. I also made the Black Sesame Variation of the Pastry Cream foundational recipe in advance, but I only used some tahini, as I had a feeling I would not be into the taste of this variation (hint, this is foreshadowing right here).

Once the black sesame seeds were delivered and I had the foundational recipes ready, it was time to make this thing happen! I placed parchment paper over a smaller baking sheet, traced the circle of a 9-inch springform pan on it and flipped it upside down so the marker wouldn’t get on the pastry. With the pâte à choux in a piping bag, I piped along the traced circle. I did this two more times to make the circle thicker in both width and height. This pretty much used up all the choux I had in the piping bag. I carefully brushed the ring with beaten egg, then dragged a fork around the ring to create long, circular lines. I topped it off with demerara sugar and black sesame seeds.

I baked the pâte à choux ring for about ten minutes at 400°F, then reduced the heat to 350°F and baked it for around 50 more minutes. Claire reminds you to bake the pastry until it’s golden brown to ensure it is baked through entirely. I took out the pastry ring, slit it around the sides with a knife to let the steam out, then placed it back in the oven after turning it off for about ten minutes. Claire says this helps dry it out and keep the puffed shape.

After letting the pastry ring cool completely, I carefully cut through the middle. I then lifted the top of the ring pastry off and cut it into about eight pieces, keeping it in its circular form afterwards. The pastry is extremely light and airy, so it’s important to move everything with caution.

I used a hand mixer to whip up the heavy cream, then kept it in the fridge as I placed the pastry cream in a piping bag and piped tear drops all around the bottom part of the pastry ring. I then took out the whipped cream, placed it in a piping bag and did the same thing, hoping the roundness of the teardrops would be noticeable as I placed the tops of the pastry ring back on top in its original order.

I was so pleased with how my Black Sesame Paris-Brest turned out! It honestly looked identical to the image in Dessert Person. As for the taste…well…

The tahini smell in the pastry cream was already turning me off before I tried the finished dessert…and my senses served me right. I did not like the variation of the pastry cream AT ALL. I haven’t minded tahini in other recipes I’ve made, but it was just not right this time around. I would simply make a regular pastry cream next time, which would likely pair perfectly with the whipped cream. This part was a bit of a bummer since it turned out so pretty; however, I’d rather a dessert turn out correctly even if I don’t like the taste so that I can understand the technique as much as possible.

Claire has not made this recipe on her YouTube Channel, but I’ll share it if she does!