Caramel Croquembouche

  1. Photo of Caramel Croquembouche

    Caramel Croquembouche

    Croquembouche is a celebratory tower of crisp cream puffs bound with caramel. Each choux bun must rise into a light shell with a hollow center. Silky vanilla pastry cream gives the dessert its luxurious filling. Dark chocolate adds a subtle bitter note beneath the sweetness. Hot caramel acts as both glue and decoration. Building the cone requires patience because every puff must support the next layer. Fine caramel threads create the traditional spun-sugar finish. The finished tower balances delicate pastry with a dramatic architectural shape. It is best assembled shortly before serving so the shells remain crisp. Guests can pull away individual puffs for an impressive shared dessert.

    680 kcal Prep: 120 min Cook: 60 min Hard Dessert

    Ingredients

    • 250 ml water
    • 500 ml whole milk
    • 120 g unsalted butter
    • 160 g all-purpose flour
    • 7 piece eggs
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 500 g granulated sugar
    • 5 piece egg yolks
    • 40 g cornstarch
    • 1 piece vanilla bean
    • 100 g dark chocolate
    • 100 ml heavy cream
    • 2 tbsp glucose syrup

    Steps

    1. Bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil, then add the flour and beat until a smooth dough leaves the pan sides.
    2. Cool the dough slightly and beat in four eggs one at a time until the choux paste is glossy and pipeable.
    3. Pipe small even mounds onto lined baking trays and smooth their peaks with a damp fingertip.
    4. Bake the choux buns until deeply golden, then pierce each base and return them to the turned-off oven to dry.
    5. Heat the milk with the split vanilla bean until steaming and allow it to infuse for ten minutes.
    6. Whisk three eggs, the egg yolks, 150 grams of sugar, and cornstarch, then temper the mixture with the hot milk.
    7. Cook the pastry cream until thick and bubbling, chill it completely, and pipe it into every cooled choux bun.
    8. Heat the heavy cream and pour it over the dark chocolate, then stir until smooth to make a ganache.
    9. Dip the filled puffs lightly in ganache and let the chocolate set before beginning the tower.
    10. Cook the remaining sugar with the glucose syrup to a deep amber caramel without stirring.
    11. Dip each puff carefully in caramel and build concentric layers around a cone, narrowing each layer toward the top.
    12. Use a fork to wind fine caramel threads around the finished tower and serve as soon as the caramel hardens.