Croquembouche, the Elegant French Caramel Cream Puff Tower

Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.

• 250 ml Water
• 115 grams Unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar (for the choux dough)
• 150 grams Medium-protein all-purpose flour
• 4 Large eggs
• 500 ml Full-cream milk
• 5 Egg yolks
• 100 grams Granulated sugar (for the custard)
• 40 grams Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 400 grams Granulated sugar (for the caramel)
• 100 ml Water (for the caramel)
• 1/2 tsp Lime juice

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1 Make the choux dough: bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan until the butter has melted completely.
2. 2 Turn off the heat, add all the flour at once, and stir quickly with a wooden spatula until the dough clumps together and no longer sticks to the pan. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking while stirring for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour through.
3. 3 Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool until just warm, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well with a mixer or a sturdy spatula, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough is ready when it's thick, glossy, and forms a 'V' shape when the spatula is lifted.
4. 4 Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe small mounds about the size of a ping-pong ball (about 3 cm/1.2 inches in diameter) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) apart.
5. 5 Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes, or the puffs may collapse. Once baked, poke a small hole in each puff with a toothpick to release the steam, then cool on a wire rack.
6. 6 Make the vanilla custard: heat the milk until it's almost boiling (don't let it come to a full boil). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until well combined and pale.
7. 7 Pour a little of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking quickly (this is called tempering), then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan of milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and gently bubbles.
8. 8 Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and mix well. Pour the custard into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
9. 9 Once the custard is chilled, transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a small pointed tip. Poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff and pipe in the custard until it feels full and slightly heavy.
10. 10 Make the caramel: cook the sugar, water, and lime juice in a clean saucepan over medium heat without stirring (you can gently swirl the pan) until it turns a golden brown color (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from the heat right away once it reaches the right color so it doesn't burn.
11. 11 Work quickly: dip the top of each custard-filled puff into the hot caramel, then stick it to another puff to form the base ring of the tower on a cone-shaped stand or a large serving plate. Keep stacking in a circle, tapering upward, until you've built a pyramid or tower shape.
12. 12 If the caramel starts to harden, gently reheat it over low heat until it becomes liquid again. Once the tower is fully assembled, decorate it with spun caramel threads (dip two forks into the caramel and pull them back and forth over the tower) for a classic decorative effect.
13. 13 Let the croquembouche rest for a bit until the caramel has fully hardened and the tower is sturdy. Serve right away, ideally within 3-4 hours of assembling, so the puffs stay crisp.

💡 Tips

📊 Nutrition Facts / serving

💬 Comments (0)

Log In to leave a comment!

🍽 More Recipes

Cakes & Bread

Kue Mangkok (Fa Gao) Halal, Blooming and Sweet as Can Be

⏱ 118 min 🍽 20 servings

Cakes & Bread

Lidah Kucing Vanilla (Vanilla Cat's Tongue Cookies)

⏱ 35 min 🍽 60 servings

Cakes & Bread

Chocolate Vanilla Cream Éclairs, French-Style Crisp and Soft

⏱ 80 min 🍽 12 servings

Cakes & Bread

Soft-Baked Chocolate Almond Brownies

⏱ 45 min 🍽 12 servings