CROQUEMBOUCHE

By melissadove

The name of this classic French Dessert means "crunch in the mouth"; Make the caramel and assemble the dessert as close to serving time as possible.

Ingredients

• Pastry Puffs:
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/4 teas. salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sifted all P. flour
• 7 large eggs
• Pastry Cream:
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp. uns. butter
• 2 oz semi sw choc
• 2 teas. instant espresso powder mixed w/ 2 teas. hot water
• Caramel:
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn syrup

Details

Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 425. To make the puffs; In a medium saucepan, melt butter in 1 1/2 water with salt and sugar. Remove pan from heat, and add flour. Return pan to heat and using a wooden spoon, beat vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. A film should form on th bottom of the pan. Cool slightly, add 6 eggs one at a time, beating vig.
2. Make a glaze by beating the remaining egg with 1 teas. water and set aside. Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 wide plain tip, pipe out mounds that are 1 inch high and 3/4 inch in diameter on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze, and smooth the tops. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on racks. Can be made ahead and frozen.
3. Make the pastry cream, in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, gradually add sugar until it is pale yellow. Beat in flour, Scald mild, and add in dribbles to egg mixture, reserving 1/2 cup. Place mixture in a clean pot over high heat, and stir until mixture boils and thickens. If it seems too thick to pipe, add reserved milk. Remove from heat. Using a hand whisk, beat butter into mixture one tbsp at a time.
4. In a double boiler set over simmering water, melt chocolate and espresso together until smooth. Add chocolate mixture to the pastry cream; let coo completely. Just before assembling, fill a pastry bag with a small tip, with pastry cream. Insert tip into puffs, and pipe in cream to fill.
5. To make the caramel; In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to boil over high heat. Do not stir. Cover pan and boil until steam dissolves any crystals. Uncover, and boil 5 more minutes, or until syrup is amber in color. Remove from heat, dip the bottom of each puff into the caramel and arrange puffs in pyramid.
6. To make spun sugar web, cut the looped ends of a whisk and dip ends in caramel, wave the caramel back and forth over the pyramid, allowing the strands to fall in long thin threads around it. Serve