Popping Pink Champagne Croquembouche
Get ready to wow your guests this New Year with a fizzy, fruity, cream puff dessert that's so good, their only resolution will be to ask you for the recipe.
We may still be in the throws of Christmas, but let’s not forget the New Year is right around the corner! Lurking. Waiting. Biding it’s time.
But don’t worry, I’ve got just the recipe for you, and it is so much fun. Pink chocolate, popping candy, champagne flavored cream… It’s like if Willy Wonka made a croquembouche. Except I made it. And I’m not sharing the credit with him. HE HAS ENOUGH.
Just a heads up, Made By Shade will be taking a short break for the holidays, so the next recipe post will be on January 19th. I’ve got something special planned for January 5th, however, so stick around!
Servings: 25 to 30 | Prep Time: 4 h 20 m to 4 h 40 m | Cook Time: 16 to 18 m | Chilling Time: 2 h
Heavy-bottomed saucepans
Fine-mesh sieve
Parchment paper
Croquembouche Cream Puff Template (link)
Thermometer
Stand-mixer with paddle attachment
Large piping bags
Large (⅜” diameter) round piping tip
Wire cooling racks
Small paring knife
Nozzle piping tip
Hand-mixer / Stand-mixer with whisk attachment
Heat-safe bowls
Candy thermometer
Champagne Bottle Template (link), printed on cardstock, cut out, and assembled
Gloves
Champagne Pastry Cream:
2 cups milk, divided
⅔ cup sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp cubed butter, cold
½ tsp champagne flavoring (I used LorAnn Sparkling Wine Flavor)
¼ tsp almond flavoring
Cream Puffs:
½ cup milk
4 tbsp cubed butter, room temp
1 tsp sugar
⅛ tsp salt
⅔ cup flour, sifted
3 to 4 large eggs (165 g)
¼ cup water
Popping Ruby Chocolate Coating:
⅔ cup Belgian ruby chocolate (I used Cambie)
3 tbsp culinary crystals (I used Modernist Pantry)
Caramel:
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 tbsp water
¼ cup corn syrup
Champagne Pastry Cream (15 minutes + 2 hours chilling)
In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk with the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, cook the remaining 1 ½ cups milk over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer.
While vigorously whisking the egg yolk mixture, gradually pour in the hot milk until fully combined.
Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Gradually whisk in the butter until smooth.
Add the almond and champagne flavorings, whisking to combine.
Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
Cream Puffs (1 hour + 16 to 18 minutes baking)
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place two cream puff templates underneath the parchment paper of each pan and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil.
As soon as the butter has fully melted and the mixture is boiling, add the sifted flour and stir together until smooth.
Continue cooking until the mixture begins to form a ball and the internal temperature reads at least 165° F on a thermometer, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand-mixer.
Beat with a paddle attachment, to help cool the mixture down, until the internal temperature reads 145° F or below, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
The finished batter should fall off a spoon very slowly in one big lump. If the mixture is too loose, keep beating until this texture is achieved. If the mixture is too stiff, you may need to beat in the additional egg.
Once the batter is ready, transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large (⅜” diameter) round piping tip.
Keeping the piping bag at a 90 degree angle to the parchment, place the piping tip about ½” above the pan.
Without moving the tip, apply consistent pressure to pipe a 1 inch diameter mound.
Release the pressure on the bag and quickly swirl the tip to round off the top. Don’t worry if there’s a tail sticking up, you’ll fix it later!
Pipe 48 puffs onto each baking sheet.
Carefully remove the templates from beneath the parchment and set aside.
Place about ¼ cup water in a small bowl.
Dip your finger into the water and gently smooth out the tops of each cream puff that needs it. Try not to get too much water on them or it may inhibit the rise.
Place one sheet pan in the upper third and one in the bottom third of the oven.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375° F and continue baking for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them and make sure to switch the position of the pans if one batch starts to brown more quickly than the other.
Transfer the puffs to wire cooling racks.
Using a small paring knife, cut a hole in the bottom of each puff, just large enough for your nozzle piping tip to fit.
Set aside.
Assembly (30 to 45 minutes)
With the whisk attachment of a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, whisk the chilled champagne pastry cream to loosen it, about 1 minute, or until smooth.
Transfer the pastry cream to a large piping bag (or a piping gun works really well, if you have one) fitted with a nozzle tip.
While holding a cream puff upside down, place the nozzle in the hole, apply pressure, and steadily lift it out, until the puff is completely full of pastry cream.
Repeat for all cream puffs and set aside.
Line your serving plate with parchment and place your paper champagne bottle template on it. Wrap your paper champagne bottle in parchment paper. Set aside.
Popping Ruby Chocolate Coating (1 hour 30 minutes)
In a heat-safe bowl, heat ½ of the ruby chocolate in the microwave until just melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Dip the top of a cream puff into the chocolate so it is lightly coated, gently shaking off any excess.
Immediately sprinkle on a few culinary crystals and set aside. I recommend using a plastic spoon to handle the culinary crystals, so no moisture from your hands breaks them down.
Repeat for all cream puffs except for five (which will be used for the top). Heat the remaining half of the ruby chocolate when you run out.
Set the coated cream puffs aside to harden while you prepare the caramel.
Caramel (5 to 10 minutes)
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water over high heat.
Bring just to a boil and add the corn syrup.
Attach a candy thermometer and let cook on high heat, without stirring, until caramel reaches 300° F and achieves a light amber color.
Remove from the heat and pour the caramel into a heat-safe bowl to stop it cooking.
Immediately assemble the croquembouche.
Assembly Cont’d (1 hour)
Be extremely careful during this next part, as the caramel is still hot and can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with bare skin. I recommend wearing gloves while working with the caramel.
Determine which side of the croquembouche will be your front and always start there. That way if you need to squeeze an extra cream puff in sideways to finish a layer, those awkward looking puffs will all be in the back.
Spear the side of a cream puff with a fork and carefully dip the bottom half into the hot caramel. Avoid dipping the chocolate coating as it will melt.
Place the puff standing up onto the parchment, with the chocolate side facing out, against the base of the paper champagne bottle. Hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds until the caramel hardens and it stands on its own. Carefully remove the fork.
Dip and place the rest of the cream puffs around the bottle, keeping the puffs close together. Try to place the puffs in the gaps between the puffs on the previous layer for maximum stability.
If the caramel becomes too thick, warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time, until it is loose again. Be very careful when handling the bowl, as it will be hot.
For the neck of the bottle, take out the reserved cream puffs not coated in chocolate.
Dip the bottom half of each cream puff into the caramel, one at a time, and stack them on top of each other in a single-file line, finishing with your best looking cream puff on top.
Serve immediately.
Croquembouche is best eaten within a few hours. Leftovers may be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade
Looks amazing! You're so talented!❤️