Receta Recipe of the Week - Croquembouche
Recipe of the Week – Croquembouche
December 29, 2014 at 1:14 pm
From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com
Croquembouche
I decided for the last post of the year to write about our new tradition at Christmas. The guys come in from NJ and will get together in the kitchen to make a croquembouche; a tower of profiteroles (cream puffs) filled with vanilla pastry cream and “glued” together with sticky caramel. I rate this a medium task, more for the many steps than the difficulty factor. We put together 3 separate recipes to make one fantastic dessert; and it doubles as a centerpiece.
Profiteroles (Cream Puffs)
Recipe Summary
Complexity:
Easy
Serves:
12
Category:
Dessert
- Meal:
- Dinner with Old Friends (Celebration Meal Plans)
- 1
- cup
- water
- 0.5
- cup
- butter, unsalted
- 0.25
- tsp
- salt, kosher
- 1
- Tb
- sugar, granulated
- 1
- cup
- flour, all-purpose
4
large
egg
Place water, butter, salt and sugar in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add flour, stir until mixed, place back on low heat and stir for 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and add to bowl of food processor, add eggs and pulse until just mixed.
(you may use a mixer instead) Place large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, space 2 inches apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. Turn off oven, remove from oven and quickly poke a few small holes with a toothpick in the sides of the puffs to allow steam to exit. Return cookie sheet to oven, open oven door and let puffs sit for 20 minutes in oven.
Vanilla Cream
Recipe Summary
Complexity:
Easy
Serves:
8
Category:
Misc
Meal:
other (General)
6
large
egg, yolks
0.75
cup
sugar, granulated
3
Tb
cornstarch
2
cup
milk, whole
1
tsp
vanilla
2
Tb
butter, unsalted
2
Tb
cream, heavy
1
Tb
cognac
Cream yolks and sugar until light yellow. Beat in cornstarch on low speed. Bring milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan; pour milk slowly into the egg mixture while beating slowly. Return mixture to stove over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick, about 10 minutes. When you put your finger into the pan the mixture is hot to the touch. Remove from heat; beat in butter, vanilla, cream and cognac. Strain through a wide mesh strainer into a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
Caramel
Recipe Summary
Complexity:
Easy
Serves:
4
Category:
Misc
Meal:
other (General)
3
cup
sugar, granulated
0.5
cup
water
Place sugar and water in a sauce pan and stir to combine. Heat under medium to high heat, swirling not stirring until brown (345 degrees). Remove from heat and use immediately. May be reheated if it becomes too stiff.
Fill each profiterole with the vanilla cream. You may make the croquembouche freehand but it is much easier to buy a 14 inch foam cone and wrap it in parchment paper. Caution: the caramel is very hot and will burn immediately if it touches your skin. Dip each profiterole into the caramel and place on the bottom of the cone, making a full round on the bottom. Now continue with the next level and so on until you reach the top. Pour any leftover caramel over the croueblouche. Serves about 12.
Tons of great desserts at our website emealsforyou.com.
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Entry filed under: Creating a Special Occasion, Dessert. Tags: caramel, corquembouche, creampuffs, croque-en-bouche, dessert centerpiece, great dessert, New Year's dessert, pastry cream, profiteroles, vanilla cream, vanilla pastry cream.