Name: Croquembouche
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 eggs; 60g sugar; 520ml milk; 20g cornflour; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 300ml water; 40g unsalted butter; A pinch of salt; 80g strong bread flour; 250g caster sugar; raspberries; blueberries; blackberries; icing sugar

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Croquembouche

Serves: 8

Course: Dessert

Category: Tarts & Pastries

Machines: Cooking machine, Mixer

Total time (min.): 30

A towering cone of light choux buns, filled with vanilla pastry cream and caramel drizzled over the top. A croquembouche makes an impressive dessert for any occasion.

Tools

Stand Mixers
Cooking Chef XL

Ingredients

6 eggs
60g sugar
520ml milk
20g cornflour
2 tsp vanilla extract
300ml water
40g unsalted butter
A pinch of salt
80g strong bread flour
250g caster sugar

To finish:

raspberries
blueberries
blackberries
icing sugar

Method

1 - Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat and lightly beat 4 eggs yolks.
2 - Attach the mixer bowl, fit the stir tool and whisk to the machine. Add the beaten eggs, sugar, 500ml milk, cornflour and vanilla into the mixer bowl and fit the splash guard.
3 - Set the temperature to 105 ° C, speed to 3 (using the HSHT function), bring to a gentle boil and mix for about 10 minutes.
4 - Set the temperature to 'OFF', continue to mix on speed 3 for a further 10 minutes. Then transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl and press a piece of parchment paper onto the surface. Place into the refrigerator to cool.
5 - Attach the clean mixing bowl and creaming beater to the machine. Add 100ml water, the remaining milk, butter and salt.
6 - Set the temperature to 105 ° C, select stir speed 1. Add the flour when it starts to boil. Increase the speed to 3 and continue to mix for about 2 minutes.
7 - Set the temperature to 'OFF', mix on speed 1 until the mixture cools slightly. Once cooled increase the speed to 3 and gradually add the remaining 2 eggs to the mixing bowl. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated and place the mixture into a piping bag.
8 - Preheat the oven to 190 ° C and pipe small amounts of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray / silicone mat, ensuring that they are spaced at least 2.5 cm (1 ”) apart.
9 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until deep golden brown in color.
10 - Remove the choux buns from the oven and use a skewer to make a hole in the base and return to the oven for 5 minutes to dry.
11 - Remove the choux buns from the oven and allow to cool completely.
12 - Use a piping bag to fill each choux bun with the creme pat.
13 - Add the remaining water and sugar into the clean mixer bowl, fit the splash guard and set the temperature to 160 ° C. Start the machine and mix until the water starts to boil. Set the temperature to 180 ° C, remove the splash guard and continue cooking until the sugar thickens and colors.
14 - Take a choux bun and dip the flat base into the caramel, immediately attach it to the bottom and hold the choux in place until the caramel has set.
15 - Repeat with all the choux buns, (using the caramel to stick the buns to each other), until you have used them all up
16 - Decorate with the berries, lightly dust with icing sugar and serve.

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