Croquembouche (Caramel-Glazed Cream Puff Tower)

S1 E17 | Keith Malley + Chemda | Keith and The Girl and the Berty Boy | Something's Burning

Bert welcomes OG New York podcasters Keith Malley and Chemda of "Keith and The Girl" and tries to wow them with one of the most complicated desserts in the book: a croquembouche — a towering stack of custard-filled cream puffs glued together with caramel. It takes just about every egg in greater Los Angeles.

Pastry Cream (Custard)

Ingredients

  • Egg yolks
  • Milk
  • Vanilla
  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Butter

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Separate out the egg yolks.
  3. In a pot, heat the milk and vanilla over medium heat; bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
  4. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and mix until fully incorporated.
  5. Add some of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture and mix until combined; add the remaining milk and beat until fully incorporated.
  6. Over medium heat, whisk the mixture constantly until thickened, 7-10 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter to combine.
  8. Strain the custard into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours.

Cream Puffs (Pâte à Choux)

Ingredients

  • Water
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Flour
  • Eggs
  • Egg wash

Steps

  1. In a large pot, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil over high heat.
  2. Once boiling, remove from heat and immediately add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture forms a ball.
  3. Return to the heat and cook another 30 seconds to remove excess moisture; transfer to a stand mixer.
  4. Mix in one egg at a time until fully incorporated.
  5. Using a piping bag with a round tip, pipe 1-inch dollops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart.
  6. Use a wet fingertip to gently press down any points; brush the egg wash over the puffs.
  7. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake another 15 minutes.
  8. Fill the cooled cream puffs with the chilled custard.

Caramel & Assembly

Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Water
  • Heavy cream

Steps

  1. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a pan over medium heat; bring to a boil and cover for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the lid and cook an additional 7-10 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add the heavy cream, stirring vigorously.
  4. Working quickly, dip the filled cream puffs into the caramel and arrange on a serving platter in a circular pattern.
  5. Continue stacking caramel-dipped puffs into a tower shape.
  6. Once the tower is complete, dip a fork into the caramel and drizzle it around the tower.

Watch the Episode