A towering masterpiece of caramel-covered cream puffs surrounded by golden threads of spun sugar, the croquembouche is the celebration cake of France.
21 ounces sugar , dividedAdjust oven racks so that one is in upper-middle position, the other is in lower-middle position, and preheat oven to 400°F . Take one sheet of parchment paper and, using a 1 1/4-inch round cutter, trace 25 circles that are 1 inch apart.
Flip paper upside down and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pipe a small amount of choux paste under each corner of parchment paper . Repeat with a second piece of parchment paper and a rimmed baking sheet.Holding the filled pastry bag at a 90° angle, apply steady downward pressure to pipe puffs onto a prepared tray, filling each circle completely. To stop piping, cease applying pressure and swirl the pastry tip away. Repeat with second prepared tray. To smooth the surface of any uneven puffs, dip a finger into cold water and gently pat down any bumps. Dust puffs evenly with powdered sugar.Bake both trays, switching racks and rotating trays front to back after 20 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and hollow feeling, about 25 minutes total.Working quickly while puffs are still hot, gently insert the tip of a paring knife into the underside of each puff and rotate in a circular motion to create a small hole, about 1/4 inch in size. Return puffs to trays and place in the turned-off oven with the door partially open and let stand for 30 minutes to allow puffs to dry and fully set.Insert tip of crème légère–filled bag into hole in each puff and begin piping with steady pressure until filled . Wipe away any excess crème légère. Repeat until all puffs are filled and set aside; reserve leftover crème légère for another use.Place one sheet of parchment paper on top of a cake turntable or stand followed by an 8-inch disposable cake round or the 8-inch removable bottom of a springform or tart pan wrapped in aluminum foil. Set aside.In a 3-quart saucepan or saucier, combine 10 1/2 ounces sugar and 3 ounces water water over medium heat. Stir with a fork until syrup comes to a boil, about 4 minutes, then simmer without stirring until syrup is honey-colored, roughly 5 minutes, shaking and swirling as needed to ensure even caramelization. Continue cooking, without stirring or swirling, until syrup is medium amber, about 1 minute longer. Carefully pour the hot caramel into a small glass bowl.While wearing latex gloves, hold each puff upside down and carefully dip the top in the caramel, letting any excess drip off. Return dipped puff to the tray caramel-side up. Repeat with remaining puffs. If the caramel starts to thicken, microwave in 10-second increments, stirring after each increment, until caramel is loose in consistency.Wash and dry the used saucepan. In now-clean saucepan, combine remaining 10 1/2 ounces sugar and 3 ounces water water over medium heat. Stir with a fork until syrup comes to a boil, about 4 minutes, then simmer without stirring until syrup is honey-colored, roughly 5 minutes, shaking and swirling as needed to ensure even caramelization. Continue cooking, without stirring or swirling, until syrup is medium amber, about 1 minute longer. Carefully pour the hot caramel into a separate small glass bowl.Arrange the 9 largest caramel-topped puffs in a circle so they’re touching one another on the prepared cake round . Removing puffs from the circle one at a time, dip one side of the rounded edge of each puff into the caramel then press the dipped side, with the caramel-top facing outward, into its space on the cake round, angling it slightly inward and holding it in place until the caramel hardens, about 3 seconds. Repeat with remaining puffs to form the first layer of the croquembouche.To build successive layers, repeat the dipping process with the remaining puffs and caramel. As you build, you’ll reduce the number of puffs in each successive layer by one, positioning each puff in the gap between the bottom two puffs. If you have a space that needs to be filled in order to make a full layer, take one puff, dip a rounded edge in the caramel, and position the puff sideways in the empty space to complete the layer. If the caramel starts to thicken, microwave in 10-second increments, stirring after each increment, until caramel is loose in consistency.Once you reach your second-to-last layer, dip the bottom of one puff, stick it to the bottom of another puff, then dip the rounded edge of the conjoined puffs in the caramel and position it on top. Dip and place your final puff on top of the conjoined puffs. .At this point the caramel should be quite viscous with a consistency similar to honey . Dip the tines of the fork in the caramel, letting it drip back into the bowl until it falls in a thin thread. Then, move the fork in a circular motion around the croquembouche from top to bottom to form hair-like strands of caramel. Repeat until croquembouche is covered in caramel strands.Serve croquembouche within 2 hours of being assembled. To serve, guests can break off puffs as desired or you can use scissors to cut apart puffs and transfer to serving plates.Disposable latex gloves, cake turntable or stand, 8-inch disposable cake round If you prefer to fill the puffs with pastry cream or whipped cream, you will need a greater volume of filling .To use pastry cream, make a double batch of any of the pastry cream recipes―
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cioppino RecipeInvented in San Francisco, this 'little soup' is hearty, flavorful, and loaded with succulent seafood.
Read more »
Spice-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Caper Vinaigrette RecipeIntense and fruity spices like coriander and caraway wake up the flavor of roasted and chilled beef tenderloin. Caper vinaigrette dresses both meat and greens for a gorgeous main.
Read more »
NASCAR Founder Bill France Sr. Hands the Keys to Bill France Jr. in 1972NASCAR 75: No. 11 in a series of 75 stories that helped define the first three quarters of a century of NASCAR.
Read more »
Slow-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb RecipeThis aromatic roast lamb has a tender texture and a perfectly rosy, medium-rare hue from edge to center.
Read more »
A bit of mystery surrounds a family's tourtière recipe, but it's a holiday favoriteThey aren't sure where this version of the French Canadian meat pie came from, but one thing is clear: It isn't Christmas without tourtière.
Read more »
NASCAR Founder Bill France Sr. Hands the Keys to Bill France Jr. in 1972NASCAR 75: No. 11 in a series of 75 stories that helped define the first three quarters of a century of NASCAR.
Read more »