Croquembouche is a traditional French dessert often served during special occasions, especially around Christmas. It is a spectacular tower of cream-filled profiteroles, small pastry balls, bound together with threads of caramel. The profiteroles are typically filled with a luscious pastry cream, adding a delightful contrast to the crisp caramel exterior.
Ingredients:
For Choux Paste:
280g Water
110g Butter
Pinch of Salt
2 Pinches of Sugar
225g Flour
6-8 Eggs
For Pastry Cream:
300ml Water
100g Sugar
100ml Water
100g Milk Powder
30g Cornflower
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
30g Butter
For Caramel:
200g Sugar
For the Choux Paste:
In a pan, bring water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil. Add flour and mix. Incorporate eggs one by one, ensuring a thorough mix.
For the Pastry Cream:
- Boil water and sugar in a pan. Add water, milk powder, cornflour, and egg after mixing. Achieve a thick batter, add vanilla essence, and finish with butter.
- Pipe the choux paste onto a baking tray in 6-12 mm round shapes. Bake at 170 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Make a small hole under each profiterole and fill with pastry cream.
Also Read: Traditional Christmas Cake Recipe
For the Caramel:
- Cook sugar to the hard-crack stage. Create a conical mould with aluminum foil. Dip profiteroles in caramel and assemble a pyramid on the mould.
- Decorate with caramel sugar.
Enjoy the delightful Croquembouche!
