Croquembouche

3 days ahead of assembly. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and butter 3 baking sheets. Sift the flour onto a square of greaseproof paper.

Put the butter into a large saucepan with the water and heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil and add the flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball. Leave to cool.

Beat in the eggs to the mixture, and stop when it looks glossy and is just holding its form. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a plain nozzle.

Pipe rounds, roughly 2cm in diameter, onto the buttered baking sheets. Aim for around 70-75 rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, in batches if required, until risen and golden. Once removed from the oven, make a 1cm split on the side of each bun to let steam escape. Then return to the oven for 5 minutes to let the buns fully dry out, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Make the pastry cream. Beat the egg yolks, sugar and plain flour in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Bring the milk to the boil in a large saucepan, then pour it over the egg mixture and stir. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the vanilla extract and then transfer to a bowl. Cover with greaseproof paper to prevent skin forming and leave to cool. Then transfer to the fridge until ready to use.

Check the buns, if they seem soft, you can re-crisp in a low heat oven for 5 minutes. Then fill with the pastry cream by piping.

Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over simmering water. Turn off the heat.

Using a cake stand, place a piece of parchment paper onto the base to catch any drips. Then cover the paper with a base of buns (which you can secure using the melted chocolate). Then begin to assemble the buns on the outside of this base, facing flat outwards.

Continue to work upwards, making the layers smaller each time to form a cone shape. Use the melted chocolate to help secure the buns in place, with each layer forming a base for the next.

Place the sugar into a small saucepan with 5 tbsp water. Heat gently until all dissolved to make a smooth syrup. Bring the syrup to the boil and cook for 5 minutes until a rich golden colour. Take off the heat.

Using a teaspoon, drizzle the caramel around the buns falling in threads. If the caramel hardens before you’re finished, gently reheat it. Lastly, add a dusting of icing sugar.

Tips & tricks

A key part of making a croquembouche is to ensure that your choux pastry puffs are all equal in size. You can draw templates onto the baking sheets before you pipe, to guide your hand. If the puffs are all different shapes and sizes when you come to build the tower you may find it tricky. You also need to make sure the buns are large enough to hold the pastry cream; if they’re too small it’ll be all crunch and no cream.

We have the French to thank for the croquembouche origin and choux pastry forms the base of many classic French dessert recipes. For more inspiration you can find our collection of French desserts here. An alternative to choux pastry is the delicate Choux au Craquelin, for mini desserts.

How to assemble it

We’ve shared a straightforward method above, using chocolate to bind the layers. Other recipes will guide you with structures like paper cones in the middle to help with the formation of the tower. The main ingredient you will need is patience!

Storage

This is one that’s best enjoyed immediately, with no leftovers. You can store unfilled cream puffs in the freezer in an airtight container for up to one month, but once filled the puffs are likely to go soggy if stored after. So tuck in!