Croquembouche with salted caramel filling

Choux Pastry for the Profiteroles

Ingredients

250 ml water

75 g butter

150 g flour

approximately 3½ eggs

Method

• Bring the water and the butter to a rolling boil.
• Remove from the heat, add the flour and stir vigorously until all the flour is incorporated.
• Return to the heat for about a minute, beating continuously.
• Remove from the heat and whisk until cool.
• Once cool, add the eggs slowly, beating until a glossy texture is formed. All the eggs may not be needed.
• Pipe the pastry to the desired shape.
• Bake in a hot oven at 200 °C until golden brown. (Sprinkle a bit of water on the tray before it goes in; this will produce steam and aid in the rising process.)

Salted Caramel (Filling)

Ingredients

260 g white chocolate

70 g sugar

30 g water

180 g cream

14 g glucose

8 g salt

40 g butter

Method

Place the cream and salt into a saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat.

In a deep saucepan, place the sugar, glucose and water and cook to a dark caramel.

Add the warm cream to the caramel in three additions, turn down the heat and stir until all the caramel has dissolved.

Pour the caramel mixture over the white chocolate, leave to stand for a few minutes and stir until all the chocolate has dissolved.

Cover the caramel with plastic and allow to cool. When the caramel temperature is around 40 – 45 ˚C, stir in the soft butter.

Fold the salted caramel into a basic batch of pastry cream. Place into the fridge and leave to firm up.

Place inside a piping bag and pipe into the profiteroles.

To assemble

Use the bottom of a wooden skewer to create an opening in the bottom of the profiterole, just big enough for a piping tip to be inserted.

Fill a piping bag fitting with a small round tip with the crème patisserie. Gently fill the profiterole with the crème patisserie.

Working quickly, dip the profiteroles into the caramel and arrange on a serving platter in a circular pattern.

Continue to stack caramel-dipped profiteroles in a tower shape.

Once the tower is completed, dip a fork into the caramel sauce and drizzle it round the tower.