Chocolate Truffle Croquembouche Recipes

CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. To make the puffs: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in 1 1/2 cups water with salt and sugar. Remove pan from heat, and add flour. Return pan to heat and, using a wooden spoon, beat vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. (A film should form on the bottom of the pan.) Cool slightly, and add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously.
• Make a glaze by beating the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water, and set aside. Using a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and a 1/2-inch-wide plain tip, pipe out mounds that are 1 inch high and 3/4 inch in diameter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze, and smooth the tops. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on racks. (The puffs can be made ahead and frozen until ready to assemble.)
• Make the pastry cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, gradually adding sugar, until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Beat in flour. Scald milk, and add in dribbles to egg mixture, reserving 1/2 cup. Place mixture in a clean pot over high heat, and stir vigorously until mixture boils and thickens. If it seems too thick to pipe, add reserved milk. Remove from heat. Using a hand whisk, beat butter into egg mixture, one tablespoon at a time.
• In a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt chocolate and espresso together until smooth. Add chocolate mixture to the pastry cream; let cool completely. Just before assembling croquembouche, fill a pastry tube fitted with a 1/4-inch-wide tip with pastry cream, insert tip into puffs, and pipe in cream to fill.
• To make the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Do not stir. Cover pan, and boil until steam dissolves any crystals. Uncover, and boil 5 more minutes, or until syrup is amber in color. Remove from heat. Dip the bottom of each puff into the caramel, and arrange puffs in a pyramid.
• To make a spun-sugar web to wrap around the croquembouche: Cut the looped ends of a wire whisk with wire cutters, or use 2 forks held side by side, and dip the ends into caramel. Wave the caramel back and forth over the croquembouche, allowing the strands to fall in long, thin threads around it. Wrap any stray strands up and around the croquembouche. Serve.

CHOCOLATE CROQUEMBOUCHES

Steps:

• For pastry cream:
• Whisk sugar and flour in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in milk, then egg yolks. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until cream thickens and boils, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill pastry cream until cold and firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• For cream puffs:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Remove from heat. Add flour and cocoa all at once; whisk until smooth and blended (dough will form ball). Stir over low heat until dough leaves film on pan bottom, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to large bowl; cool to lukewarm, about 8 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets in at least 64 scant 1-inch mounds. Using moistened fingertips, smooth any pointed tips on mounds. Bake puffs 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Continue to bake until puffs are firm and beginning to crack and dry on top, about 23 minutes longer. Transfer puffs to rack. Using small knife or chopstick, poke hole in side of each puff near bottom to allow steam to escape. Cool puffs completely.
• Spoon pastry cream into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain round tip. Pipe into each puff through hole in side.
• For glaze:
• Place 10 ounces chocolate in small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 15-second intervals until beginning to melt; stir glaze until completely melted and smooth.
• Dip bottom of 4 filled cream puffs into glaze. Arrange puffs, spaced about 1/4 inch apart, in square on plate. Dip bottom of 3 more puffs into glaze. Arrange in triangle atop first 4 puffs, pressing slightly so glaze holds puffs in place. Dip bottom of 1 more puff into glaze; place on top. Drizzle mound of puffs with some of glaze. Repeat with remaining cream puffs, forming 8 desserts. Refrigerate until glaze sets and holds puffs together, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Bring cream and butter to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; stir until butter melts. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream, liqueur and orange peel. Pour into 9x13-inch baking dish. Refrigerate mixture until firm enough to hold shape, about 1 hour.
• Line 4 large cookie sheets with foil; sift powdered sugar over 2 sheets and cocoa powder over 2 sheets. Using 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons), scoop truffle mixture, mounding slightly, and release onto sugar-dusted sheet. Repeat to form total of 28 large truffles on sugar-dusted sheets and 28 on cocoa-dusted sheets. Using 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop (1 1/2 teaspoons), scoop truffle mixture and release onto sugar-dusted sheet. Repeat to form total of 10 small truffles on sugar-dusted sheets and 10 on cocoa-dusted sheets. Freeze truffles 10 minutes.
• Roll each truffle on sugar-dusted sheets in sugar, then roll between palms of hands into smooth round and set onto clean cookie sheet. Roll each truffle on cocoa-dusted sheets in cocoa, then roll between palms of hands into smooth round and set onto same cookie sheets as sugar-dusted truffles. Freeze 1 hour.
• Dipping:
• Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until candy thermometer registers 115°F. Remove from over water. Submerge 1 large sugar-dusted truffle in white chocolate, tilting pan if necessary. Using long fork, lift truffle from chocolate. Tap fork gently against side of pan (if necessary) to remove excess chocolate. Using knife as aid, slide truffle off fork and onto clean foil-lined cookie sheet. Wipe fork clean. Repeat process with all remaining sugar-dusted truffles. Freeze for 15 minutes.
• Reheat remaining white chocolate to 115°F. over simmering water. Repeat dipping process to give truffles a double coating of white chocolate.
• Melt bittersweet chocolate in top of clean double boiler over simmering water, stirring until candy thermometer registers 115°F. Dip spoon into bittersweet chocolate and wave quickly white chocolate-coated truffles, creating zigzag lines. Refrigerate truffles.
• Line 2 more cookie sheets with foil. Using dipping process described above, dip cocoa-dusted truffles into bittersweet chocolate, dipping each truffle only once. Immediately top each with candied violet. Refrigerate truffles 1 hour. (Can be prepared 3 weeks ahead. Cover and chill truffles and remaining melted bittersweet chocolate separately.)
• Assemble:
• Remelt remaining bittersweet chocolate. Brush melted bittersweet chocolate in 2-inch-wide strip down length of cone. Wrap waxed paper around cone, covering completely and pressing against chocolate to adhere. Place cone on platter. Holding toothpick at sharp angle, press 2/3 of toothpick into cone near base. Press 1 large truffle onto toothpick. Repeat with more toothpicks and remaining large truffles, alternating dark and white truffles and attaching in spiral design toward top of cone. Begin attaching small truffles 4 inches from top of cone and continue to cover completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Press rose leaves between truffles on cone, covering any spaces. Press toothpicks into roses and attach to leaves between truffles.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.