Mini croquembouche

Serves: 6

Delicious mini croquembouche recipe for you to test your baking skills at home.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 200ml water
• 1pinch salt
• 75g butter (unsalted)
• 100g plain white flour
• 3 egg(s) (free range) (medium)

For the crème patissiere

• 500ml milk
• 100g unrefined golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 4 egg yolk(s) (free range)
• 50g cornflour
• 25g butter (unsalted)
• 1 lemon (zest only)

For the caramel

• 300g white caster sugar
• 100ml water

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C gas mark 4).

2Bring the water, salt and butter to the boil in a saucepan. Take off the heat add all the flour and mix well.

3Put back on the heat, stirring the mixture all the while and dry the pastry until it starts to stick to the saucepan.

4Pour the hot mixture in a bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time.

5Using a piping bag, pipe some 1.5″ profiteroles on a lined baking tray. Bake for around 30 minutes until they puff up, and become golden and crispy. TIP: it is worthwhile opening the oven half way through the baking for 5 seconds to let the steam out. Leave to cool.

6For the crème patissiere: In a saucepan bring the milk and vanilla to the boil.

7In a bowl mix the yolks and sugar together and add the cornflour.

8Pour over the hot milk, mix well and pour back in the saucepan. Bring back to the boil without stopping whisking. Take off the heat add the butter and mix. Leave to cool and once cooled, add the lemon zest.

9Using a small knife pierce each “choux”. In a thick based pan make a nice blond caramel by adding caster sugar to 100mls of water in a saucepan. Boil, then simmer to reduce.

10Dip each choux into the caramel and place them caramel side down on a lined baking tray. TIP: keep some cold water close by in case your fingers become sticky from the caramel.

11When the caramel is cool, using a piping bag fill each “choux” with the crème patissiere. Using the rest of the caramel build the Croquembouche using a large oiled pastry cutter as a guide for the base. Decorate with caramel spun sugar.