Snowman Croquembouche Recipes

CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• For the croquembouche: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and dump the flour directly into the pan. Stir the mixture into a paste with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to medium heat. Stir the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the paste to a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until slightly cooled, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one thoroughly before adding the next. Before adding the last egg, beat it in a small bowl. Add it by tablespoons to the mixture, just until the batter is smooth and tight. If the batter starts to get loose, do not add all of the last egg.
• Fill a large pastry bag fitted with an open tip with the batter. Pipe twelve 1-inch circular mounds about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. (Alternatively, use a large spoon to form the dough into mounds.) Dab the tops of each puff with a fingertip dipped in water to smooth.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the puffs from the oven and use a sharp paring knife to pierce each side. Return the puffs to the oven until dry and crisp, another 5 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• For the meringue frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixing bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, lemon zest and juice, egg whites, cream of tarter and salt by hand in the mixing bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, about 5 minutes. Add a few drops of desired food coloring if using and continue beating until it holds stiff peaks.
• To assemble: Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch round tip (a long eclair filling tip works great for this) and add the frosting to the bag. Insert the tip into the slit in the side of each puff and fill with frosting.
• Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or in a microwave. Start by dipping a small bit of each puff into the melted white chocolate. Create an even round layer with the puffs on a 12- to 14-inch serving platter, using the chocolate to adhere. Place the platter in the refrigerator and allow to set for 10 minutes. Repeat with additional layer of puffs on top of the first, decreasing in size to create a "tower" effect and reheating the white chocolate to melt as needed. In between each layer, place the plate back in the fridge and allow to set for 10 minutes. When you reach the top, use the remaining white chocolate to drizzle over the top of the tower. Return the platter to the fridge and remove 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

CHRISTMAS CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Make cream puffs
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter and flour 2 baking sheets. Spoon pâte à chou into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe about 55 mounds onto baking sheets, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, leaving 1 1/2 inches between mounds. With a finger dipped in water gently smooth pointed tip of each mound to round puffs. Bake puffs in upper third of oven 10 minutes, switching position of sheets in oven halfway through baking if necessary. Reduce temperature to 400°F. and bake puffs 20 minutes more, or until puffed and golden. Let puffs stand in turned-off oven 30 minutes. Transfer puffs to racks to cool. With a skewer poke a 1/4-inch hole in bottom of each puff. Puffs may be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container. Recrisp puffs in 400°F. oven 5 minutes and cool before filling.
• Make filling
• In bowl of a standing electric mixer beat pastry cream until just smooth and soft enough to fold in heavy cream (do not overbeat). In a chilled bowl with cleaned beaters beat heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into pastry cream. Chill filling, covered, about 1 hour, or until cold.
• Fill cream puffs
• Transfer filling to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain top and barely fill each puff (do not overfill), putting filled puffs in a shallow baking pan.
• Assemble croquembouche
• Using tape, cover cone with parchment paper. Place cone on turntable if using.
• Line a tray with wax paper. Working with 1 cream puff at a time, dip bottom in chocolate sauce, leaving top 1/3 inch uncoated and letting excess drip off, then arrange 1 ring of puffs around base of cone, placing as closely together as possible. Insert toothpick through each puff into cone to attach puff to cone, leaving end of toothpick sticking out (you'll push it in later with thimble).
• Attach second ring of puffs above first, again packing tightly and staggering so puffs in second ring are not directly above puffs in first ring. Continue in same manner to dip and attach remaining puffs. Finish covering cone with 1 puff attached to top of cone.
• Using thimble, push in toothpicks until not visible.
• Decorate by pushing candies and leaves into gaps between doughnut holes.
• To serve croquembouche, dismantle, 1 puff at a time.

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.

CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 6 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add 1 or 2 more eggs, and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough in big kisses onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Whisk 2 eggs with 3 teaspoons of water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash to knock down the points (do not use all the egg wash.) Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375-degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. The recipe can be made up to this point and frozen in plastic bags. Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and any flavorings if you want to make a different flavor like chocolate or coffee. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Poke a hole with a plain pastry tip in the bottom of each cream puff and pipe it full of the custard.
• Caramel: Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with the water, making an "X" through the sugar with your finger to allow the water to slowly soak into the sugar. Boil to make a light golden caramel then dip the bottom of the pan in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Dip the sides of the puffs in the caramel and stick them together (approximately 20 cream puffs) in a circle, tops facing out. Make a second row on top of the first but a bit smaller to draw the circle in and create a tower of cream puffs. Check it from all sides occasionally to make sure it's straight. When it's finished, drizzle it with caramel all over. You can also stick on decorative elements with the caramel in the crevices, like candied violets, gold balls, gum paste flowers, sugar covered almonds, etc.

SNOWMAN CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine water, yeast, and honey and whisk to dissolve yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment, then add sugar and eggs and mix to combine. Add flour, salt, and mint extract and mix on low until the wet and dry ingredients come together. With the mixer running, add the butter in 3 additions. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until the dough blends together, about 2 minutes.
• Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on medium-low speed until it forms an elastic ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl completely, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to a generous ¼" thickness. Cut into rounds with a 1" cutter and transfer the donut holes to a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. Let rise 20-30 minutes; the donut holes will feel light to the touch but not deflate when they are ready.
• Meanwhile, heat about 4" of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot to 330 degrees. Fry donut holes in small batches until evenly golden brown, constantly moving and rolling the donuts, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• Generously dust donut holes with confectioners sugar, tossing gently to coat completely. Use aluminum foil to create three balls of varying sizes to form the body of the snowman and transfer to a cake stand. Affix donut holes to body using toothpicks, then decorate snowman as desired.
• TO MAKE THE SAUCE:.
• In a small saucepan, combine cream, candy canes, and salt. Bring to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the candy canes completely. Pour the liquid over the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve warm.