Croquembouche

 

I was going to the neighbors for '09 Easter supper, and one can not show up empty handed.  I decided to make Croquembouche.  

Apparently the French will use them as wedding cakes. The name translates to "Crunch in the Mouth", or at least that is what the internet tells me, as my French in nonexistent.

Profiteroles

Julia Child's Choux Paste;

1 c Water

3 oz Butter

1 tsp Salt

3/4 c AP Flour

4 Eggs

Boil water, butter and salt. Beat in flour. Cook and stir until bottom of pan is dry. Remove from heat, beat in eggs, may not need all 4.

Pipe to 1 inch diameter.  Brush with egg wash. Bake 425 *F for 20 mins.

Fill with Creme Patissiere

1 c Sugar

5 Yolks, reserve whites

1/2 c Flour

2 c Milk scalded with vanilla bean.

1 tb Butter.

Beat, sugar and eggs to ribbon stage. Add flour, beat to well combined. Stream in very hot milk slowly, beating constantly.  Place over medium heat, bring to boil stirring constantly. Reduce to low and cook 3 mins. Remove from heat, add butter. Force through fine mesh sieve. Place plasic wrap on surface of creme and chill overnight. Beat whites and fold into cream to lighten.

Assembly

Fill all the puffs with cream, and chill while making caramel 'glue'. 1 c sugar with 1/2 c water,  cooked to medium brown. Have a big bowl of ice water standing by lest your fingers come in contact with the Napalm, I mean caramel.

Draw a circle about 8 in diameter on cake round. Dip puff in hot caramel and stick to ring. Repeat with second layer on top and slightly smaller diameter to taper into a cone.

Spread some hot caramel on a silpat and let cool to make garnish.  Sugar can be 'spun' into fine threads by letting cool slightly in pan so it makes long slow runs off a spoon. Then set sheet pan on floor and slowly pour caramel from spoon. It cools as it falls making threads, and a mess.