Croquembouche

Preparation

Filling

Step 1

Start by making the filling. Whisk an egg and half of the sugar together. Then add 200 ml of the milk and the custard powder.

Step 2

In a saucepan, bring the leftover milk and sugar to a boil and then add it to the custard mixture. Whisk together and heat back up.

Step 3

Slowly bring the mixture to a soft boil and wait for it to thicken up. The consistency should be like custard. Then transfer the custard to a bowl, cover it and place in the fridge.

Profiteroles

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200ᵒC.

Step 2

Add water, milk and butter to a saucepan and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, take the pan of the heat. Then mix in the salt and flour.

Step 3

Put the pan back on low heat and keep stirring until a dry ball forms, then turn of the heat. Add the eggs one by one and stir in between. Work quickly, or the eggs will start cooking!

Step 4

Fill a piping bag with the batter. Pipe little profiteroles on a baking tray with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and let them cool.

Step 5

Fill a new piping bag with the filling you made before. Fill the profiteroles from the bottom with the filling. Not they are done!

Build the Croquenbouche

Step 1

Make a cone of cardboard, about 30 cm high. This will be the base for your tower. Secure the cardboard with staples and cover with parchment paper.

Step 2

To make the caramel, add the sugar and water to a saucepan and brong to a simmer. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Let it caramelize until it turns golden brown, but don’t stir while doing so. When the mixture turns the right color, turn the heat off.  

Step 3

Gently dip the profiteroles in the caramel and start builing your tower from bottom to top. The caramel is very hot, so be careful. When the tower is done, decorate it with the remaining caramel.