A Paris–Brest is a French dessert made of choux pastry and a praline flavoured cream, covered with flaked almonds.

History

The pastry, round, i.e. wheel-shaped, was created in 1910 by Louis Durand, pâtissier of Maisons-Laffitte, at the request of Pierre Giffard, to commemorate the 1200 km Paris–Brest–Paris bicycle race he had initiated in 1891. The pastry, providing typically 640 kcal largely from fat and sugar, became popular with riders on the Paris–Brest–Paris cycle race, partly because it provided the calories required for intensive sports and its intriguing name, and is now found in pâtisseries all over France.