David Briand Hazelnut MOF Pastry Chefs so good #23 Soft Caramel

Vanilla, caramel and hazelnut choux gourmand by David Briand

For someone who arrived in the world of patisserie ‘by chance’ as he confesses, he is doing pretty well for himself. When he was 14 years old, David Briand began to take his first steps in patisserie in his town and he happened to like it. From there, he began a journey through different establishments in France, which he combined with his studies, until the most important moment in that period of training arrived. ’I went to Barcelona with Oriol Balaguer, with whom I had a 1-year contract, and I stayed 6’. And in 2018 he reached the professional summit by becoming MOF Pâtissier. He is currently a professor at L’Ecole du Grand Chocolat de Valrhona, in Tain L’Hermitage (France).

For Briand, being Meilleur Ouvier de France is much more than a title, it is a huge responsibility and it is to assume a mission for the rest of his career, ‘we represent excellence and we have to be perfect in everything we do, that is what people expect from us. The pressure is huge. We have to transmit and support the trade in every possible way.’

‘I’m not interested in seeing who makes the most complex cake. Many times one misses how important it is to have a story behind each creation and not to forget that in the end everything we create is eaten.’

As for his work style and philosophy, Briand is conclusive, ‘I’m not interested in seeing who makes the most complex cake. Many times one misses how important it is to have a story behind each creation and not to forget that in the end everything we create is eaten.’
And with that idea comes Chef Briand to the pages of so good #23. Here is the recipe of his choux gourmand, exclusively shared on our website. A classic product that gathers his favorite flavors: vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut.

Vanilla, caramel and hazelnut choux gourmand

Salted butter caramel 108ºC

190 g UHT 35% cream
29 g DE38 / 40 glucose
190 g powdered sugar
50 g salted butter

Heat the cream and glucose. Cook the powdered sugar several times until you get a light caramel. Cook the caramel with the butter. Add the hot cream and cook everything at 108° C.

Fruity praline craquelin

155 g dry butter 84%
70 g brown sugar
135 g T55 flour
90 g crunchy fruity praline

Mix the butter spread with brown sugar, flour, and praline. Extend 2 mm between 2 plastic sheets and freeze.

Vanilla whipped ganache

220 g UHT 35% cream
0,5 u Tahitian vanilla pods
20 g invert sugar
20 g DE38 / 40 glucose
152 g Opalys 33% chocolate
335 g UHT cream 35%

Heat the small amount of cream. Infuse the vanilla pod for 20 minutes. Strain using a sieve, adjust the weight of the cream. Add glucose and invert sugar. Gradually pour the hot mixture over the melted chocolate. Quickly mix to perfect the emulsion. Add the second amount of cold liquid cream. Mix again. Reserve in the fridge and let it crystallize, preferably for 12 hours. Spread to get a texture that is sufficiently consistent.

Pâte à choux

65,8 g mineral water
65,8 g UHT whole milk UHT
2,63 g fine salt
2,6 g powdered sugar
65,8 g dry butter 84%
65,8 g T55 flour
132 g whole eggs

Boil the water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Add the flour and mix until it comes off the sides. Pass the choux dough through a blender and, with the help of a sheet, gradually incorporate the eggs.

Montage

Prepare the caramel, the whipped ganache and the craquelin. With the help of Azélia couverture, pre-crystallize and make points on a guitar sheet (acetate). Cover with a second sheet and press. Separate the two sheets and on one of the sides, spread the salted caramel directly on the chocolate. Cover with the second sheet again so that the vanilla ganache is closed between the two drops of chocolate. Get a 6 cm piece and another 5 cm. Let it crystallize in cold. Prepare the choux dough and pour into a sphere 4 to 5 cm in diameter. Cut the craquelin to 5 cm in diameter and place on top of the choux. Cook at 180ºC for 25 minutes and set aside. Cut the choux and place about 6 g of crunchy praline. With a pastry bag with a nº 18 nozzle, deposit 15 g of the whipped ganache. Place a 6 cm closed decoration lightly pressed, pipe 8 g of whipped ganache and then place the 5 cm decoration. Pipe a drop of whipped ganache and place on top of the previously grated choux. Paste some roasted hazelnuts and grate a little chocolate on top.