Holiday Collection: Croquembouche

I know making a Croquembouche may seem impossible to achieve, but we are here to help!

The best way to help yourself in this cooking process, is prepping as much as you can in advance. The puff pastry filled with pastry cream can all be done days in advance and stored in the fridge. All that's left to do the day of is making a caramel and build! Don't worry if it doesn't come out perfect...we promise it will still be delicious. Use the recipe video and step by step directions below!

Eat Well.

SERVES 12 SERVINGS

PREP TIME 6 HRS

COOK TIME 45 MINS

Pâte À Choux

Water	1 cup
Butter	6 tbsp
All-Purpose Flour	4 1/2 oz
Eggs	5 each

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment and set aside.

2. Heat water in a. saucepan until just under a simmer. Add in butter and allow it to melt.

3. Once melted, bring your water temperature to just under a boil and add all of your flour. Mix until combined and it turns into a dough.

4. Transfer dough to a stand mixer and on a low speed add your eggs one at a time until combined. Next transfer the dough into a pastry bag.

5. Pipe pate a choux on to sheet tray and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Pastry Cream

Whole Milk	2 cups
Unsalted Butter	4 tbsp
Kosher Salt	1/2 tsp
Egg Yolks	5 each
Vanilla Bean	1 split in half
White Sugar	1/2 cup
Cornstarch	1/4 cup

Directions

1. Place milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan, then scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a stand mixer, about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch, until fully incorporated. Whisking constantly, add hot milk mixture to egg mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until mixture is thick.

3. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface; chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

4. Once chilled add to a piping bag and fill the inside of pâte à choux with pastry cream.

Caramel

Water
Sugar

Directions

1.Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil until caramel turns a light amber color.

2. To assemble (watch video for reference) dip the bottoms of each cream puff in caramel and place onto a large plate. Start to make a circle using the cream puffs. Once the first layer is done, keep building. Once it's assembled, using a fork or end of a whisk, slowly wrap the croquembouche with caramel. It should harden!