MARTHA'S FAMOUS CROQUEMBOUCHE
Croquembouche -- pate a choux puffs with creamy filling, dipped in hot caramel, and stacked -- is a favorite special-occasion dessert. Decorate with royal icing, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes 2 small croquembouches
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Make the puffs: Bring milk, water, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, and whisk in flour. Return to heat, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed to cool slightly, about 1 minute. With machine running, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip.
- Whisk together yolk and heavy cream. Pipe about one hundred 1-inch puffs (about the size of a quarter) onto each prepared sheet. Gently brush with egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. (Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Transfer caramel cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Insert tip of pastry bag into base of each puff, and fill each. Return to sheets in a single layer as you work.
- Assemble the croquembouche: Dip top half of each filled puff into caramel (be careful not to burn your fingers), letting excess drip back into pan. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let stand until caramel is set.
- Carefully dip bottom half of 1 puff into caramel, letting excess drip into pan. Transfer puff, hot caramel side down, to a serving platter. Repeat with 9 more puffs, forming a connected ring as you work. Repeat with more puffs, layering rings to form a 6-layer pyramid, using 45 or 50 puffs total. (If the caramel begins to harden, reheat briefly over low heat.)
- Attach sugar cookies to sides and base of croquembouche, using royal icing or caramel as "glue."
- To make a second croquembouche, make another batch of caramel, and repeat with remaining filled puffs. (Alternatively, serve the remaining puffs on the side.) Serve immediately, or let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
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Asik Mia
[email protected]I'm not much of a baker, but I was able to make this croquembouche with relative ease. It turned out great and was a big hit with my friends.
Joshua Aliu
[email protected]This croquembouche was a showstopper! It was the perfect centerpiece for my holiday table. Everyone raved about how delicious it was.
sudip Gautam
[email protected]The choux pastry was a bit tricky to work with, but the end result was worth it. The croquembouche was beautiful and delicious. I'm so glad I tried this recipe.
Zhaid Balil
[email protected]Wow! This croquembouche is amazing! It's so impressive and it tastes even better than it looks. I'm definitely going to make this again for special occasions.
Keith Eglon
[email protected]The croquembouche turned out beautifully! It was a bit challenging to make, but the instructions were clear and easy to follow. I used a store-bought choux pastry mix to save time. The end result was stunning and delicious.
Geary Pruett
[email protected]This croquembouche was a huge hit at my party! It was so impressive to look at and everyone loved the taste. It was a lot of work to make, but it was totally worth it.