Found this recipe while going through the October issue of fine Cooking magazine; an elite cooking magazine for those who want to make high quality food. Believe me, for $7.00 and maybe 80 pages is a lot. But the focal point of the magazine was on fine holiday partying, and one of the suggestion was a French delicacy known as Croquembouche. This delightful little pastry is very much the same as a cream puff with a delicious filling made of either cream and caramel or sweet cream and ricotta cheese. Either way the decoration of this fun little dessert is sure to make any one’s Thanksgiving or Christmas party a hit! Recipe’s are from both Martha Stewart and Fine cooking. Enjoy!
Croquembouche
For the pastry cream
1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta
3 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
Table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/4 oz. (4-1/2 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta
3 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
Table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/4 oz. (4-1/2 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the pâte à choux puffs
7-1/2 oz. (15 Tbs.) unsalted butter
2-1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
Kosher salt
11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
10 large eggs
7-1/2 oz. (15 Tbs.) unsalted butter
2-1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
Kosher salt
11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
10 large eggs
For assembly
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbs. sea salt
One 4x12-inch (approximately) foam cone, covered in foil (ideally gold)
Toothpicks
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbs. sea salt
One 4x12-inch (approximately) foam cone, covered in foil (ideally gold)
Toothpicks
Make the pastry cream
Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a small bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
Warm the milk in a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until steaming, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla until smooth.
Slowly whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture to warm it, then whisk the mixture into the pot of milk. Whisk in the butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is very thick and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Purée the ricotta in a food processor until very smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir it into the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 1 day.
Warm the milk in a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until steaming, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla until smooth.
Slowly whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture to warm it, then whisk the mixture into the pot of milk. Whisk in the butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is very thick and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Purée the ricotta in a food processor until very smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir it into the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 1 day.
Make and fill the pâte à choux puffs Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Bring 2-1/2 cups of water and the butter, sugar, and 1-1/4 tsp. salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, remove from the heat and add the flour. Set the pan over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until cool to the touch. On medium-low speed, beat in the eggs one by one, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Let the dough cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (Ateco #806). Onto 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, pipe small, 1-1/2-inch-high mounds (like chocolate kisses) at 2-inch intervals. Smooth the surface of the mounds with a wet finger.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom after 10 minutes, until the puffs are evenly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Turn off the oven and remove the puffs from the oven. Prick the side of each puff with a paring knife to release the steam. Return the puffs to the turned-off oven with the door ajar to dry them for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the puffs from the baking sheets and transfer to a rack to cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough on freshly lined baking sheets. (The puffs are best used the same day, but they can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Bring 2-1/2 cups of water and the butter, sugar, and 1-1/4 tsp. salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter melts, remove from the heat and add the flour. Set the pan over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until cool to the touch. On medium-low speed, beat in the eggs one by one, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Let the dough cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (Ateco #806). Onto 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, pipe small, 1-1/2-inch-high mounds (like chocolate kisses) at 2-inch intervals. Smooth the surface of the mounds with a wet finger.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom after 10 minutes, until the puffs are evenly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes total. Turn off the oven and remove the puffs from the oven. Prick the side of each puff with a paring knife to release the steam. Return the puffs to the turned-off oven with the door ajar to dry them for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the puffs from the baking sheets and transfer to a rack to cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough on freshly lined baking sheets. (The puffs are best used the same day, but they can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Assemble the croquembouche
Sort the puffs according to size: small, medium, and large. Transfer about half of the p
astry cream to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip (Ateco # 802 or #10). Poke the tip into the bottom of each puff and fill with the pastry cream, being careful not to overfill. Refill the pastry bag as needed.Step one: Put the foil-wrapped cone on a serving platter. Insert a toothpick about 1 inch from the base of the cone. Dip the side of a large cream puff into the hot caramel to coat the side and about a third of the top of the puff.Step two: Immediately press the cream puff onto the toothpick, with the top facing out. Insert another toothpick parallel to the first pick, positioning it so that the next puff will fit snugly against its neighbor. Dip another cream puff and nestle it against the first. Repeat, making your way up and around the cone, working from the largest to the smallest puffs.As the caramel cools and thickens, it will begin to spin into long, thin threads as you pull the puffs from the pot. Before attaching the puff, circle the cone with the puff so the spun caramel drapes the croquembouche. When the caramel becomes too thick to dip, swirl it over low heat to thin it—it will darken a little each time you do this.Step three: When the cone is completely covered with puffs, dip a fork into the caramel and continue to pull the caramel threads from the pot and spin them around the croquembouche until you’re happy with its appearance.
You can assemble the croquembouche up to 2 hours ahead provided it’s not too humid; a moist environment will cause the caramel to soften. Don’t refrigerate the croquembouche. Serve any extra cream puffs on the side.
astry cream to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip (Ateco # 802 or #10). Poke the tip into the bottom of each puff and fill with the pastry cream, being careful not to overfill. Refill the pastry bag as needed.Step one: Put the foil-wrapped cone on a serving platter. Insert a toothpick about 1 inch from the base of the cone. Dip the side of a large cream puff into the hot caramel to coat the side and about a third of the top of the puff.Step two: Immediately press the cream puff onto the toothpick, with the top facing out. Insert another toothpick parallel to the first pick, positioning it so that the next puff will fit snugly against its neighbor. Dip another cream puff and nestle it against the first. Repeat, making your way up and around the cone, working from the largest to the smallest puffs.As the caramel cools and thickens, it will begin to spin into long, thin threads as you pull the puffs from the pot. Before attaching the puff, circle the cone with the puff so the spun caramel drapes the croquembouche. When the caramel becomes too thick to dip, swirl it over low heat to thin it—it will darken a little each time you do this.Step three: When the cone is completely covered with puffs, dip a fork into the caramel and continue to pull the caramel threads from the pot and spin them around the croquembouche until you’re happy with its appearance.You can assemble the croquembouche up to 2 hours ahead provided it’s not too humid; a moist environment will cause the caramel to soften. Don’t refrigerate the croquembouche. Serve any extra cream puffs on the side.
A croquembouche, may look like an elaborate dessert, but it’s actually not that difficult to assemble once you get the hang of it. Just be cautious as you work with the caramel; it’s extremely hot and burns on contact. Have a small bowl of ice water nearby, and if you get any on your fingers, immediately dip them into the water to stop the burn.
...a dash of thought
"But compared with the task of selecting a piece of French pastry held by an impatient waiter a move in chess is like reaching for a salary check in its demand on the contemplative faculties." - Robert Bentchly
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