Croquembouche
A defy-gravity tower of caramel and danger.
Timing note: 4 hours
Croquembouche
A defy-gravity tower of caramel and danger.
Timing note: 4 hours
The Key Move
The French wedding cake
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The Setup
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Mixing Bowls
The Mise en Place
3Your prep station before cooking begins
The Pantry (0/2)
Other (0/1)
My tower is leaning or collapsing!
Ah, the classic leaning tower of Croquembouche! This usually means your caramel was a touch too hot and runny when you assembled, or your base wasn't quite wide enough to support t…
My profiteroles are soggy, not crisp.
Humidity, my friend, is the arch-nemesis of crisp pastry. If your puffs are feeling a bit soft, it's almost certainly the weather. I strongly advise against making your Croquembouc…
Chef's Notes
Chill pastry cream thoroughly to prevent it from becoming too runny when assembling.
Use a piping bag with a small round tip for consistent choux pastry shapes.
Heat caramel to a deep amber for best flavor and to ensure it hardens properly.
Dust with powdered sugar or edible glitter for a festive finish.
The Method
FILL
Time-sensitivePOKE a hole in the bottom of each puff and PIPE in the cream.
⚠️ Do this max 1 hour before serving. If you fill them too early, the moisture in the cream turns the pastry to mush.
The MAGMA (Caramel)
BOIL sugar (500g) and water to light amber. Remove from heat immediately.
DIP & BUILD
Time-sensitiveDIP the side of a puff into the caramel and STICK it to the base. Build in a circle, moving inward as you go up.
The caramel should set hard within 10 seconds. If it's dripping, wait for it to cool slightly.
SPUN SUGAR
Use a fork to flick strands of caramel around the tower like a golden web.
