Imported from the web
The Croquembouche
An elaborate French pastry sculpture made from roughly 150 small cream puffs filled with vanilla pastry cream, stacked into a cone with caramel, and supported by crisp almond nougatine discs. This ambitious project combines pâte à choux, pastry cream, nougatine, hot caramel, and careful assembly.
Cook this recipe, hands-free
Open it in SeeMeCook for step-by-step Cook Mode, built-in timers, and your whole recipe library — free to start.
Ingredients
- 600 g water (For the pâte à choux)
- 300 g butter (For the pâte à choux)
- 12 g sugar (For the pâte à choux)
- 12 g salt (For the pâte à choux)
- 405 g all-purpose flour (For the pâte à choux)
- 13.5 eggs (Use 12–15 eggs for the pâte à choux; add enough to reach the proper dough consistency)
- 600 g whole milk (For the pastry cream)
- 120 g granulated sugar (For the pastry cream)
- 6 egg yolks (For the pastry cream; use large yolks)
- 30 g cornstarch (For the pastry cream)
- 30 g all-purpose flour (For the pastry cream)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (Alternatively use 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)
- 480 g chopped almonds (For enough nougatine for two 10-inch bases)
- 600 g granulated sugar (For the nougatine)
- 480 g corn syrup or glucose syrup (For the nougatine)
- 100 g water (Per caramel batch; the recipe lists 300 g total for 3 batches)
- 50 g melted glucose syrup (Per caramel batch; the recipe lists 150 g total for 3 batches)
- 330 g granulated sugar (Per caramel batch; the recipe lists 1000 g total for approximately 3 batches)
Steps
- 1
Make the pâte à choux according to the linked pâte à choux recipe, using the listed three-times-batch quantities. Pipe 1-inch circles onto parchment-lined baking trays, leaving room for expansion.
- 2
Bake the cream puffs at 400°F/200°C for 25–30 minutes, until puffed, golden, and dry. Cool completely.
- 3
Make the pastry cream. In a medium saucepan, bring the whole milk just to a simmer over medium heat.
- 4
While the milk heats, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and slightly thickened.
- 5
Add the cornstarch and flour to the yolk mixture. Whisk until completely smooth.
- 6
Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- 7
Return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble.
- 8
Once thick, continue cooking for 1–2 minutes to fully cook the starch. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- 9
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto its surface to prevent a skin from forming, and cool completely before using.
- 10
Fill the cooled cream puffs with the chilled pastry cream.
- 11
Make the nougatine. Preheat the oven to 275°F/135°C. Warm two silicone mats on sheet trays and warm the chopped almonds on a separate tray so the caramel remains workable.
- 12
Combine the nougatine sugar and glucose syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring only until the sugar dissolves.
- 13
Stop stirring once the sugar has dissolved. Cook the syrup to 329°F/165°C, swirling the pan gently as needed for even coloring. The syrup should be deep golden amber.
- 14
Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the warmed chopped almonds until evenly coated.
- 15
Quickly divide the nougatine mixture in half and pour each portion onto a preheated silicone mat.
- 16
Wearing heat-safe gloves, immediately cover each portion with a second silicone mat. Use a lightly oiled rolling pin to press and roll each portion into an even 3–4 mm layer.
- 17
While the nougatine is still warm and pliable, place a 10-inch ring mold on each sheet to trace the shape. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut around each ring, keeping the nougatine on the mat to avoid cracking.
- 18
Cool the nougatine rounds at room temperature until fully set and firm. Do not refrigerate or chill, as chilling can cause warping or stickiness.
- 19
Remove the excess nougatine trimmings and carefully lift the finished discs. Store them in an airtight container with a desiccant or dry towel to prevent moisture absorption.
- 20
Make the caramel in small batches. For each batch, combine the water, melted glucose syrup, and granulated sugar in a clean, dry saucepan.
- 21
Stir gently just to combine, then place the saucepan over medium heat. As the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and swirl the pan occasionally to even out the color.
- 22
If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a pastry brush dipped in water.
- 23
Cook until the caramel reaches a deep amber color, approximately 338–347°F/170–175°C. Choose the lower end for a milder caramel or the higher end for more bitterness.
- 24
Immediately remove the caramel from the heat. Briefly place the bottom of the saucepan in a shallow bowl of warm water to stabilize it and prevent further darkening.
- 25
Dip the tops of the filled cream puffs in the caramel, then quickly press each dipped top into a silicone dome mold with the sugar side down. Allow the caramel to set completely before gently removing the bun.
- 26
If the caramel thickens, warm the pan gently over low heat and stir slowly until it becomes fluid again. If it cools too much, make a fresh batch rather than risking crystallization or over-darkening.
- 27
Begin assembly by placing a nougatine disc on a serving board or sheet tray. Keep a batch of caramel warm over low heat or in a hot-water bath at approximately 302–320°F/150–160°C; it should be fluid but not smoking.
- 28
Dip the bottoms of the cream puffs in the warm caramel. Quickly arrange them in a tight, even circle around the outer edge of the nougatine base to form the first ring.
- 29
For the next layer, dip both the bottom and lower side of each cream puff in caramel. Place each bun slightly inward and on top of the previous layer to begin forming a cone.
- 30
After placing each bun, hold it in position for 2–3 seconds so the caramel can set and secure it.
- 31
Once each layer is set, lightly shave the tops of the cream puffs with a microplane or fine grater. This creates a flatter surface for the next layer and improves the stability of the cone.
- 32
Continue the dip–place–shave process for each successive ring. Work in small batches to keep the caramel workable and avoid crystallization, maintaining a consistent angle so the tower gradually tapers into a cone.
Notes
The cream puff yield is approximately 150 small puffs. The nougatine quantity makes enough for two 10-inch bases. The caramel quantities are presented per batch; the listed total is approximately three batches. Use extreme care with hot sugar and wear heat-safe gloves when rolling nougatine. The article notes that croquembouche assembly is technically demanding and that caramel should be replaced with a fresh batch when it becomes too cool, crystallized, or overly dark.
Nutrition per serving
Every recipe, finally cookable.
Turn your next favorite video into a recipe you can actually follow — ingredients, steps, and times in seconds.
Already have SeeMeCook? Open this recipe →