Croquembouche

Croquembouche: The French Delight Elevated in Flavors and Aromas

Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Number of servings: Approximately 10-12 servings

Croquembouche is an iconic dessert with a rich history, often associated with celebrations and special events. This impressive cake made of cream-filled pastries covered in caramel is a true culinary masterpiece. It may seem intimidating at first glance, but with patience and attention to detail, you can create a dream Croquembouche that is sure to impress anyone.

Ingredients

For the cardboard cone:
1. 1 piece of cardboard (of any desired size, I chose 30 cm in height)
2. Scotch tape
3. Parchment paper

For the pastries:
1. 125 ml milk
2. 200 ml water
3. 120 g flour
4. 1 teaspoon sugar
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 100 g butter
7. 4 eggs

For the cream:
1. 750 ml milk
2. 4 egg yolks
3. 6 tablespoons sugar
4. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
5. Vanilla (to taste)

For the caramel:
1. 400 g sugar
2. 150 g water

Preparing the Cone

1. Forming the cone: Start by cutting the cardboard into a cone shape, making sure it is as even as possible. Use scotch tape to secure the edges, ensuring it is well fixed. Cover the cone with parchment paper to prevent the pastries from sticking to the cardboard.

Preparing the Pastries

1. Heating the ingredients: In a saucepan, add the milk, water, sugar, and butter. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble.

2. Adding the flour: When the mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and add the sifted flour and salt. Stir vigorously until you obtain a soft, homogeneous dough. Put the mixture back on the heat and stir continuously for about 1-2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.

3. Cooling the dough: Allow the dough to cool completely in a bowl.

4. Incorporating the eggs: Once the dough has cooled, transfer it to a tall container. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. The final consistency should be thick but fluid enough to be piped.

5. Preheating the oven: Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

6. Forming the pastries: Fill a piping bag with the dough and form medium-sized pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should get about 60 pastries.

7. Baking: Bake the pastries for 10 minutes at high heat, then reduce the temperature to 160 °C and continue baking for 30 minutes. IMPORTANT: Do not open the oven door during baking to prevent the pastries from collapsing.

8. Cooling the pastries: Once baked, let the pastries cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.

Preparing the Cream

1. Boiling the milk: In a saucepan, boil the milk together with the sugar and vanilla.

2. Mixing the egg yolks: In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the cornstarch until homogeneous. When the milk starts to boil, remove it from the heat and gradually pour it over the egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously.

3. Thickening the cream: Put the mixture back on the heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Strain the cream to remove any lumps and let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a crust from forming.

Assembling the Croquembouche

1. Filling the pastries: Once the pastries have completely cooled, use a pipette or a knife to make a small hole in the back of each pastry and fill them with the cooled cream.

2. Preparing the caramel: In a saucepan, combine the sugar with water and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar turns into a golden caramel, about 15 minutes.

3. Assembling the cake: Place a plate with a piece of parchment paper and position the cardboard cone on top. Meanwhile, approach with the hot caramel and the filled pastries. Take a pastry, dip its base and edges in caramel, and stick it to the cone, with the face horizontal. Continue adding pastries, building the cone.

4. Finalizing the assembly: Once you are almost at the top, leave about a 5 cm space to be able to remove the cardboard cone. Allow the caramel to cool completely.

5. Removing the cardboard cone: With the help of another person, gently lift the Croquembouche and remove the cardboard cone from the inside, ensuring everything remains intact. The parchment paper will peel off easily.

6. Decorating: Use a fork dipped in caramel and swirl it around the cake to create thin strands of caramel. This adds a spectacular effect and is a fun activity!

Helpful Tip

The Croquembouche is best prepared as close to serving time as possible, and decoration should be done a few minutes before serving, as the caramel strands do not last long depending on room temperature. If the caramel hardens, you can put it back on the heat to liquefy it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use other types of cream? Yes, you can experiment with different types of creams, such as chocolate cream or flavored creams.

2. How do I store the pastries? It is recommended to consume the pastries fresh. If there are leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but they will suffer in taste and texture.

3. What drinks pair well with Croquembouche? A sweet wine or champagne would be ideal to complement this elegant dessert.

Nutritional Information

Croquembouche is a calorie-rich dessert, with a significant amount of sugar and fat due to its ingredients. A serving can contain approximately 350-400 calories, depending on size and filling. It is important to enjoy it in moderation, considering its caloric richness, but it also provides a good dose of energy and pleasure!

Now that you have all the necessary information, all that’s left is to put on your apron and enjoy this culinary adventure! Creating a Croquembouche is not just a cooking exercise, but also a fulfilling experience that will leave unforgettable memories. It can become your favorite dessert, and every special occasion can be celebrated with a personalized Croquembouche. Happy cooking!