Festive Croque En Bouche Cream Puff Tower
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 125 ml water
- 125 ml milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 100 g butter
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs
- softened butter for greasing
Vanilla cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 packet (37g) vanilla pudding powder
- 500 ml milk
- 60 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel
- 200 g sugar
- 100 ml water
Preparation
Grease a baking sheet with softened butter
Combine water, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat until warm
Melt butter in the saucepan
Add flour and salt, stirring until a smooth dough forms
Cook the dough over medium heat, pressing against the pan bottom until a white film appears
Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly
Preheat oven to 180°C conventional. Place a shallow dish with 1 cm water in the oven
Beat eggs and gradually add to the dough until smooth
Pipe walnut-sized mounds onto the prepared baking sheet
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown
Whisk egg yolks, vanilla pudding powder, and six tablespoons cold milk in a bowl
Heat remaining milk with sugar and vanilla extract until simmering
Pour hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture while whisking
Return to saucepan and cook until thickened
Transfer cream to a shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface
Chill until cold
Whip chilled cream until smooth
Fill a piping bag with small tip and fill cream puffs through bottom holes
Combine sugar and water in a clean saucepan for caramel
Heat over medium without stirring until deep amber color
Stack filled cream puffs into a pyramid shape
Dip fork into caramel and pull threads over pyramid to create net
Allow caramel to set before serving
