Croquembouche with Spun Sugar Veil

⏱ 240 min · Serves 12

The showstopper of French patisserie: a towering cone of crisp choux buns filled with vanilla crème pâtissière, glued with amber caramel and draped in a shimmering veil of spun sugar. It takes an afternoon, but the gasp when you carry it in is worth every minute.

Per serving: 492 kcal · 8.5g protein · 72.0g carbs · 19.5g fat

Ingredients

• For the crème pâtissière:
• 750ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 6 egg yolks
• 150g caster sugar
• 50g cornflour
• 50g unsalted butter, diced
• 150ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
• For the choux pastry:
• 250ml water
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 150g plain flour, sifted
• 4 medium eggs, beaten (plus 1 extra if needed)
• For the caramel and spun sugar:
• 600g caster sugar
• 150ml water
• 1 tbsp liquid glucose (or 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
• Neutral oil, for greasing

Method

1. Make the crème pâtissière first: heat the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds until steaming. Whisk yolks, sugar and cornflour to a pale paste, pour on the hot milk whisking constantly, then return to the pan.
2. Cook over medium heat, whisking hard, until thick and bubbling — 2 minutes more to cook out the cornflour. Off the heat, beat in the butter. Pass through a sieve, cover with cling film on the surface and chill at least 2 hours.
3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. For the choux, bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a rolling boil. Tip in the flour all at once and beat over low heat 1-2 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball leaving a film on the pan.
4. Transfer to a bowl, cool 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs a little at a time until the dough is glossy and falls from the spoon in a slow V. Pipe about 60 walnut-sized mounds (3cm) using a 1cm plain nozzle, well spaced. Pat down any peaks with a wet finger.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding — do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes. Pierce each base with a skewer and return to the switched-off oven 5 minutes to dry. Cool completely.
6. Beat the chilled custard smooth, fold in the whipped cream, and pipe into each bun through the base hole until heavy. Chill.
7. Make a cardboard cone about 30cm tall, cover in parchment and oil lightly. For the caramel, dissolve 400g sugar with 100ml water and the glucose over low heat, then boil without stirring to a light amber. Take off the heat and rest 1 minute.
8. Working quickly (and carefully — caramel burns), dip the side of each bun in caramel and build a ring around the base of the cone, caramel-side against it. Spiral upwards in ever-tighter rings, gluing bun to bun, finishing with one bun on top. If the caramel sets, rewarm gently.
9. Let the tower set 15 minutes, then carefully lift the cone away from inside. Transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.
10. For the spun sugar, boil the remaining 200g sugar with 50ml water to 155C (hard crack). Cool 2 minutes until it threads from a fork, then flick threads over an oiled rolling pin or between two oiled spoons. Gather the fine floss and drape over the croquembouche just before serving.
11. Serve within 3-4 hours — humidity is the enemy of spun sugar. Break apart at the table with two forks.