CROQUEMBOUCHE

Croquembouche is a stunning French dessert traditionally made for celebrations, featuring a towering cone of delicate cream-filled profiteroles held together with caramel. The name means “crunch in the mouth,” and this dessert certainly delivers with its combination of light choux pastry, creamy filling, and crunchy caramel coating. Though it looks intricate and impressive, assembling a croquembouche can be a fun and rewarding process. It’s the perfect centerpiece for weddings, holidays, or any special occasion, guaranteed to impress guests with both its appearance and taste.

Ingredients:

For the choux pastry (profiteroles):

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

For the pastry cream:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the caramel:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Make the choux pastry:
   • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   • In a saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour until the mixture forms a dough ball.
   • Return to heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, to dry out the dough slightly.
   • Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
   • Using a piping bag, pipe small mounds of dough (about 1 inch in diameter) onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool completely.
2. Prepare the pastry cream:
   • In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just simmering.
   • In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
   • Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and butter, then let the pastry cream cool completely.
3. Fill the profiteroles:
   • Using a piping bag fitted with a small tip, fill each profiterole with the cooled pastry cream by inserting the tip into the bottom of the profiterole. Set aside.
4. Make the caramel:
   • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over medium heat without stirring until the sugar dissolves and turns an amber color (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and use immediately, as it will harden quickly.
5. Assemble the croquembouche:
   • Carefully dip each filled profiterole into the caramel, then begin stacking them in a cone shape, working in circles from the bottom up. The caramel acts as glue to hold the profiteroles together.
   • For an extra decorative touch, drizzle any remaining caramel over the croquembouche or spin sugar threads around it.

Croquembouche is a beautiful and delicious dessert that offers a perfect balance of crispy choux pastry, rich cream filling, and sweet caramel, making it an unforgettable showstopper for any event!