Quince And Prickly Pear Croquembouche

Serves: 2

Jailyn Upton

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

50

Spice

46

Sweetness

48

Sourness

42

mins

Prep time (avg)

5

Difficulty

Ingredients:

3 cups

Whole Milk

16 large

Egg

1 cup

Pear Juice (prickly)

1 tsp

Vanilla Extract

4 cups

Heavy Cream

1 cup

Granulated Sugar

2 cups

Maple Syrup

Directions:

1

Repeat to create a wispy caramel cage

2

Serve immediately

3

Special equipment: 1 piping bag fitted with a large round tip and 2 piping bags fitted with medium round tips; a sugar wand or whisk For the pate a choux: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

4

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment

5

Bring the milk and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat

6

Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until a carpet, or thick film, forms on the bottom of the pan

7

Add the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment while still hot

8

Turn to medium speed and beat, adding one egg at a time, until fully combined and glossy

9

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip

10

Pipe 2-inch balls spaced about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (you should have about 55 balls)

11

Bake until golden brown, about 22 minutes

12

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake another 15 minutes to dry them out

13

Let the puffs cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to racks and let cool completely before filling, preferably overnight

14

Puncture small holes in the base of each puff and set aside to fill

15

For the quince and prickly pear jam: Heat the quince paste, prickly pear juice and vanilla extract in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until fully combined

16

Let cool completely

17

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip

18

Pipe the jam into the pate a choux puffs through the holes in the bottoms, filling the puffs halfway

19

For the vanilla bean whipped cream: Beat the cream and vanilla paste together in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until beginning to thicken

20

Slowly add the sugar and beat just until stiff

21

Then stop! Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a medium tip

22

Pipe the cream into the pate a choux puffs

23

For the treacle maple syrup: Combine the treacle, maple syrup and vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat

24

Let cool halfway so it is still liquid

25

To assemble the croquembouche: Dip each filled pate a choux puff into the treacle syrup and stack on a serving tray to build a tower

26

Let set, 20 to 30 minutes

27

For the crisp caramel sugar: Heat the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, making sure not to stir

28

Cook until melted and golden brown

29

Allow to cool halfway

30

Dip a sugar wand or whisk into the caramel and quickly wave it in circles around the tower to create caramel strands