Soundtrack the cook
Dinner party · 181 minutes
Music paced for prep, cooking, plating, and the reset after dinner.
Prep 72m
Cook 108m
Plate 5m
Reset 10m
Instructions
🎙️ Cook with voice coach- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For the Choux Pastry: In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted.
- Remove from heat and immediately add all the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to dry out the dough. Transfer the dough to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. The dough should hold its shape but be slightly fluid.
- Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe small mounds (about 1 inch in diameter) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Let the choux puffs cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, make a small hole in the bottom of each puff.
- For the Pastry Cream Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to simmer. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and boils. Boil for 1 minute, whisking continuously. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Once chilled, spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Fill each choux puff through the hole made earlier.
- For the Caramel: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring, until the sugar dissolves and turns an amber color. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed.
- Once the caramel reaches a deep amber color, immediately remove from heat. Let it cool slightly until it's thick but still pourable. Be cautious, as hot caramel is extremely dangerous.
- To assemble the Croquembouche: Dip the bottom of each filled choux puff into the caramel. Arrange the puffs in a cone shape on a serving platter or a cardboard cone form, working from the bottom up. Use caramel to 'glue' the puffs together.
- Continue adding layers of caramel-dipped puffs until the desired height and shape are achieved. Drizzle any remaining caramel over the top and sides for decoration.
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Nutrition per serving
Calories
450
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