CroquemboucheA croquembouche is a French dessert, a kind of pièce montée often served at weddings. It is a high cone of profiteroles (choux filled with pastry cream) bound with caramel, and usually decorated with threads of caramel, sugared almonds, chocolate, flowers, or ribbons. The name comes from the French words 'Croque en bouche' meaning 'crunch in the mouth'. The choux buns can also be made with savoury fillings. Servings depend on the size of thecroquembouche cone you're using.IngredientsFor a 30cm wide (12") 20cm diameter (8") croquembouche cone, you'll need...

3 qty Choux Pastry (approximately 60 profiteroles) 3 qty Basic Pastry Creme or Crème Pâtissière 3 cups sugar Basic Toffee mixture

Method1. Either use a croquenbouche cone which you can buy from a kitchenware store, or you

can make your own from cardboard and baking paper.2. Make the choux pastry into profiteroles and cook.3. Make the pastry cream and cool.

1. Filling the Profiteroles - Method 2 - cut each profiterole in half and place a teaspoon of the pastry cream in one half and top with the other half.

2. Filling the Profiteroles - Method 1 - spoon the mixture into a bag fitted with a plain tip. Insert the tip into the underside of a profiterole and pipe about 1 teaspoon ofpastry cream into it. Repeat with the remaining profiteroles. Chill the profiteroles for about an hour.

4. Make the toffee in a heavy medium saucepan.5. Remove from heat and place on cold surface to stop cooking.6. Using some of the left-over pastry cream, place a layer around the base of the cone.7. Place a ring of profiteroles around the cone as well, pressing them into the pastry

cream base.8. Using a honey spoon, drizzle some of the toffee over the profiteroles and the pastry

cream base then layer another round of profiteroles, using more of the pastry cream to help cement them. Repeat this layering process till all the pastry cream then all the profiteroles are used.

9. If the toffee begins to harden, reheat briefly over medium heat to liquefy.10. Once the final profiterole is in place, use a ball whisk that has had the end cut off, to

spin the remianing toffee up the sides of the croquembouche and further cement the profiteroles in place, then, if you have the time and the patience, spin some of the remaining toffee to form a nest of spun toffee to decorate the top.

11. Croquembouche will hold up several hours at room temperature.12. Serve by cracking caramel with back of sharp knife and removing individual

profiteroles.