Croquembouche
Caramel-bound choux puff tower
Tower of cream-filled choux puffs bound with caramel
FrenchAt a French wedding, christening or first communion, the croquembouche ('crunch in the mouth') arrives at the end of the meal: a tall cone of choux puffs filled with vanilla pastry cream, stuck together with amber caramel and wrapped in spun sugar threads. Guests crack puffs off with a knife or the back of a spoon, so each bite is crisp caramel, light pastry and cold, smooth cream. Pâtissiers often flavour the cream with orange liqueur; it is written here with vanilla only, and you can add 2 tablespoons of liqueur to the cooled cream. Underbaked choux is the classic mistake, because pale puffs go soft and collapse under the weight, so bake them until they are deep golden and dry inside; and since hot caramel burns badly, keep a bowl of iced water beside you and work with care. Chef's tip: build the tower on the day, no more than 4 hours before serving; the caramel softens in the fridge and humid air.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the pastry cream
- 3 ¼ cups milk
- 1 vanilla podsplit, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 ½ oz cornflour
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
For the choux
For the caramel
- 1 ⅛ lb caster sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To decorate
- 3 ½ oz sugared almonds (optional)
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Heat 3 ¼ cups milk with 1 vanilla pod until steaming. Whisk 8 egg yolks, 6 ½ oz caster sugar and 2 ½ oz cornflour in a bowl, pour on the hot milk while whisking, then return to the pan.
5 minStep 2: Whisk over medium heat until it boils and turns very thick, then cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in 1 ⅜ oz butter, remove the vanilla pod, cover the surface with cling film and chill for 2 hours.
6 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Line three trays with baking paper.
Step 4: Bring ½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 3 ½ oz butter, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar to a full boil. Tip in 5 ½ oz plain flour all at once and beat over low heat for 2 minutes, until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and a film forms on the base.
3 minStep 5: Cool the dough for 5 minutes, then beat in 5 eggs a little at a time. Stop when it is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V; you may not need all the egg.
Step 6: Pipe about 60 balls, 2.5 cm wide, onto the trays, spaced apart. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.
Step 7: Bake for 25–30 minutes without opening the door for the first 20, until deep golden, crisp and light. Pierce each puff underneath and return to the turned-off oven for 5 minutes to dry.
30 minStep 8: Beat the cold pastry cream until smooth, spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle and fill each cooled puff through the hole underneath.
Step 9: Make a cone from thin card, about 40 cm high and 20 cm across the base, wrap it in baking paper and stand it on a serving board.
Step 10: Heat 1 ⅛ lb caster sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 tsp lemon juice in a heavy pan, without stirring, until it turns a light amber, about 10–12 minutes. Dip the base of the pan in cold water for a few seconds to stop it darkening.
12 minStep 11: Carefully dip the side of each puff into the caramel and stick it to the cone, starting at the base and working up in rings. If the caramel thickens, warm it gently.
Step 12: Stick 3 ½ oz sugared almonds between the puffs. With a fork, flick threads of the last caramel around the tower. Serve within 4 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does croquembouche take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 150 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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