Classic Croquembouche: A Tower of Cream Puffs and Caramel

1.Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of unsalted butter. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil.

3.Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

4.Let the dough cool for about 5 minutes, then add 4 large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5.Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, pipe small mounds (about 1 inch in diameter) onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

6.Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cream puffs are golden brown and puffed up. Do not open the oven door during baking. Once done, remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

7.While the cream puffs are cooling, prepare the pastry cream. In a large bowl, whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream.

8.Once the cream puffs are cool, use a small knife to make a hole in the bottom of each puff and fill them with the whipped cream using the pastry bag.

9.To make the caramel, combine 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and let it boil until it turns a golden amber color.

10.Carefully dip the filled cream puffs into the caramel, allowing the excess to drip off, and then stack them in a cone shape on a serving platter to form a tower. Use the caramel to glue the puffs together as you build the tower.

11.If desired, sprinkle toasted almonds over the top for decoration. Allow the caramel to harden before serving.