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Valay-Brest

A Valay-Brest is a mini eclair, filled with apple-flavoured confectioner's custard and topped with a rectangle of walnut nougatine.

69K 4.2/5 based on 20 reviews

Last modified on: May 14^th 2014

Keywords for this recipe:

For 24 pieces, you will need:

1 300 g Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
2 200 g Apple confectioner's custard
3 50 g walnut kernels
4 150 g caster sugar
5 3 tablespoons water (optional)
Total weight: 700 grams

Change these quantities to make:

8 pieces 12 pieces 24 pieces 48 pieces 72 pieces

Change measures:

Metric

Metric weight Metric volumes

Times for this recipe

Preparation: 58 min.

Cooking: 30 min.

All in all: 1 hour 28 min.

When should you start or finish this recipe?

If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time

To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - 20 min.

Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).

Prepare 300 g Choux pastry (pâte à choux) and pipe the eclairs about 5-6 cm (2 inches) long using a forcing bag with a ridged nozzle, if possible.

Stage 2 - 15 min.

Bake the mini eclairs.

Stage 3 - 5 min.

When cold, cut in half lengthways.

Stage 4 - 5 min.

Fill each "bottom" with apple-flavoured confectioner's custard.

Stage 5 - 5 min.

Replace the "lid".

Fill all the eclairs like this and put to wait in the fridge.

Stage 6 - 5 min.

Prepare the walnut nougatine: preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread 50 g walnut kernels on a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes in the oven.

Stage 7 - 5 min.

When cooled, use a blender to grind the toasted walnuts to a powder.

Stage 8 - 10 min.

Use 150 g caster sugar and 3 tablespoons water to make a light caramel.

Stage 9 - 1 min.

Tip the ground walnuts into the caramel...

Stage 10 - 1 min.

...and mix thoroughly.

Now you need to work as quickly as possible, because the nougatine will set rapidly as it cools.

Stage 11 - 1 min.

Pour the nougatine out onto a sheet of cooking parchment.

Stage 12 - 3 min.

Lay a second sheet on top and roll the nougatine out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin.

Stage 13 - 2 min.

Use a large knife to cut the nougatine, or at least score it, into strips about 1 cm (0.3 inch) wide.

Stage 14 - 5 min.

When cooled, cut the strips apart.

Stage 15 - 5 min.

Stick these onto the tops of the eclairs with a little confectioner's custard.

Refrigerate until needed, but do not serve too cold.

Remarks

It is not essential for the nougatine to be a rectangle exactly the size and shape of the eclair. On the contrary, the "deconstructed" look with pieces laid side by side can be attractive.

Some recipes insist that the caramel for the nougatine should be made "dry", i.e. without added water, but I don't think this is essential.

Keeping: An hour or two, not much longer.

Source: Home made.

Nutritional information

Whole recipe
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
2,729 Kcal or 11,426 Kj	113 gr	652 gr	355 gr
136 %	43 %	61 %	54 %

Per 100 g
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
390 Kcal or 1,633 Kj	16 gr	93 gr	51 gr
19 %	6 %	9 %	8 %

Per piece
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
114 Kcal or 477 Kj	5 gr	27 gr	15 gr
6 %	2 %	3 %	2 %

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).

Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, Gluten, Egg, Nuts

How much will it cost?

For 24 pieces : 3.12 €
Per piece : 0.13 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.

This recipe uses (among others)

Choux pastry (pâte à choux)

You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Gougères, Profiteroles, Saint Honoré cake, Puits d'amour, Paris-Brest, ... See them all 248

Apple confectioner's custard

You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example:

Caster sugar

Like these other recipes: Pistachio confectioner's custard, Grapefruit moelleux, Amaretti, Pistachio shortbread biscuits, Almonds pyramids, ... See them all 349

Walnut kernels

Like these other recipes: Pears and caramelised walnut samosas , Baked Camembert with Walnuts, Caramelized apple and walnut cake, Apple Strudel, Granola, ... See them all 18

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