Layered Vanilla Custard Cream Puff Tower, Patisserie-Style Beauty

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• 250 ml Water
• 115 grams Margarine
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar
• 150 grams Medium-protein all-purpose flour
• 4 Eggs
• 500 ml Full-cream liquid milk
• 4 Egg yolks
• 100 grams Granulated sugar (for the custard)
• 40 grams Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Vanilla powder
• 30 grams Butter
• 200 ml Liquid whipping cream
• 150 grams Granulated sugar for the caramel
• 3 tbsp Water for the caramel
• to taste Powdered sugar for dusting

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1 Make the choux pastry: put the water, margarine, salt, and granulated sugar into a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the margarine melts and the water comes to a boil.
2. 2 Turn off the heat, immediately add all the flour at once, and stir quickly with a wooden spatula until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the pan. Turn the heat back on to low and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour smell.
3. 3 Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool slightly (until just warm) for about 5-10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing continuously with a mixer on low speed or a spatula until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
4. 4 The dough is ready when it's thick, glossy, and forms a ribbon when lifted with the spatula. Transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
5. 5 Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, forming small mounds about the size of a ping-pong ball, spacing them out since they will puff up while baking.
6. 6 Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C (390°F), then lower the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the puffs are dry, puffed up, and golden brown. Do not open the oven during this process so the puffs don't collapse.
7. 7 Turn off the oven and leave the puffs inside with the door slightly ajar for 10 minutes so the texture fully sets and stays crisp. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
8. 8 Make the custard: whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch together until smooth. In a separate pan, heat the milk and vanilla until almost boiling, then slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly (tempering).
9. 9 Pour the whole mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
10. 10 Whip the liquid whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the chilled custard to make the filling lighter and smoother. Transfer to a piping bag.
11. 11 Poke a small hole in the bottom of each puff with a small piping tip, and fill with the custard cream until it feels heavy and full.
12. 12 Make the caramel: cook the granulated sugar and water over medium heat without stirring until it turns a deep golden brown. Remove from heat immediately so it doesn't burn.
13. 13 Arrange the filled puffs in layers to form a tower/cone shape, starting with a large circle at the bottom and narrowing toward the top. Glue the puffs together with a bit of hot caramel, which also doubles as decoration.
14. 14 Once the tower is formed, drizzle the remaining caramel over a few sides for a glossy effect, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

💡 Tips

📊 Nutrition Facts / serving

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