Whenever we serve one of these towering confections, there's always three questions,
After the ooohs, ahhhs and flashbulbs have quieted down of course.
1. Crokem...what??
2. What is it exactly???
3. How do we eat it?????
All three queries easily answered....
First - It's a Croquembouche (kroh-kuhm-boosh) French as you might have guessed, and it means "crunch in your mouth", more or less.
Second - It is a traditional pastry concoction, or as the French might say, a "pièce montée" - oooohh la la, composed of miniature cream puffs (profiteroles), filled with pastry cream (crème patisserie), and held together by hard crack caramel (providing the "croque) in a towering pyramid cone. Typically a croquembouche is decorated with sugared almonds, caramel threads, macarons or in the case of Chef Daniel... 14 karat gold dust.
The croquembouche a long been a fixture at French weddings, christenings or any event deemed celebratory enough for such a special treat. It is believed to have first been made by the legendary pastry chef Antoine Careme (1783 - 1833) who was known for his monumental dessert creations. The individual puffs are made from pâte à choux (choux meaning cabbage) named so because the baked puffs are said to resemble tiny heads of cabbage. Choux paste, as it is known in the American kitchen, actually dates back even further than the croquembouche. It was introduced to France by the Italian chefs who accompanied Catherine de Medici when she wed the future King Henry II.
After the puffs are baked and dried, they are filled with the pastry cream right before assembling the tower. Traditionally the puffs are filled with a vanilla pastry cream, but Chef Daniel usually gilds that particular fleur-di-lys by adding chocolate and coffee flavors to the mix.
They are then dipped VERY CAREFULLY into a molten pot of caramel, literally burnt sugar, and quickly assembled into the traditional pyramid of treats. Each puff must be held in place for a few seconds as the caramel cools and sets to its classic "crack". Every level of puffs set back slightly as the cone rises before the chef.
A small croquembouche, say 18 inches high, will use about 120 filled profiteroles. Most of the croquembouches Chef Daniel makes tend more to the 2 - 3 foot variety. There are rumors still circulating in the kitchen of a 6 foot version from years past.
Lastly - The eating! We've read accounts of a croquembouche being "carved" by sword in France. For those lacking that particular brand of panache, we usually find that a sturdy knife and cake server provides enough heft to break through the caramel crust and serve 2 or 3 puffs to each guest. When it's time for "seconds" most guests are curious enough to want to have a go at serving themselves.
Offer pitchers of bittersweet chocolate sauce, caramel sauce with sea salt, whipped cream and fresh strawberries for the hedonistic pleasure of it all.
After the ooohs, ahhhs and flashbulbs have quieted down of course.
1. Crokem...what??
2. What is it exactly???
3. How do we eat it?????
All three queries easily answered....
First - It's a Croquembouche (kroh-kuhm-boosh) French as you might have guessed, and it means "crunch in your mouth", more or less.
Second - It is a traditional pastry concoction, or as the French might say, a "pièce montée" - oooohh la la, composed of miniature cream puffs (profiteroles), filled with pastry cream (crème patisserie), and held together by hard crack caramel (providing the "croque) in a towering pyramid cone. Typically a croquembouche is decorated with sugared almonds, caramel threads, macarons or in the case of Chef Daniel... 14 karat gold dust.
The croquembouche a long been a fixture at French weddings, christenings or any event deemed celebratory enough for such a special treat. It is believed to have first been made by the legendary pastry chef Antoine Careme (1783 - 1833) who was known for his monumental dessert creations. The individual puffs are made from pâte à choux (choux meaning cabbage) named so because the baked puffs are said to resemble tiny heads of cabbage. Choux paste, as it is known in the American kitchen, actually dates back even further than the croquembouche. It was introduced to France by the Italian chefs who accompanied Catherine de Medici when she wed the future King Henry II.
After the puffs are baked and dried, they are filled with the pastry cream right before assembling the tower. Traditionally the puffs are filled with a vanilla pastry cream, but Chef Daniel usually gilds that particular fleur-di-lys by adding chocolate and coffee flavors to the mix.
They are then dipped VERY CAREFULLY into a molten pot of caramel, literally burnt sugar, and quickly assembled into the traditional pyramid of treats. Each puff must be held in place for a few seconds as the caramel cools and sets to its classic "crack". Every level of puffs set back slightly as the cone rises before the chef.
A small croquembouche, say 18 inches high, will use about 120 filled profiteroles. Most of the croquembouches Chef Daniel makes tend more to the 2 - 3 foot variety. There are rumors still circulating in the kitchen of a 6 foot version from years past.
Lastly - The eating! We've read accounts of a croquembouche being "carved" by sword in France. For those lacking that particular brand of panache, we usually find that a sturdy knife and cake server provides enough heft to break through the caramel crust and serve 2 or 3 puffs to each guest. When it's time for "seconds" most guests are curious enough to want to have a go at serving themselves.
Offer pitchers of bittersweet chocolate sauce, caramel sauce with sea salt, whipped cream and fresh strawberries for the hedonistic pleasure of it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment