Back
Pistachio and Coffee, Cardamom and Chocolate Croquembouche
Recipe by Red Team
Kristen and Chloe create a magnificent croquembouche tower full of colour and Mediterranean flavours of cardamom, pistachio and caramel
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Green Coloured Sable
Cardamom Sable
Choux
Pistachio Pastry Cream
Chocolate, Coffee and Cardamom Pastry Cream
Caramel
To Serve
Select All
Steps
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- To make the Green Coloured Sable, place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy. Add green food colouring and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour and mix until the mixture is smooth and just combined. Transfer mixture to a work surface and roll out between two sheets of baking paper to 2mm thickness. Place sable and paper on a baking tray and set aside in fridge until needed.
- For the Cardamom Sable, to make the sable, place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and cardamom and mix until the mixture is smooth and just combined. Transfer mixture to a work surface and roll out between two sheets of baking paper to 2mm thickness. Place sable and paper on a baking tray and set aside in fridge until needed.
- For the Choux, place milk, butter, sugar, salt and 100ml water in a saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is fully incorporated. Return saucepan to the heat and mix until a smooth dough is formed and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
- Transfer dough to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the dough on medium speed until most of the steam has evaporated. Add half of the lightly beaten eggs to the bowl and beat until fully incorporated. Continue to add small amounts of the beaten egg, beating with each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. It may not be necessary to add all the egg.
- Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe 4cm wide rounds of the mixture onto flat baking trays lined with baking paper.
- Remove both sables from fridge and peel off the top sheet of baking paper. Use a 3.5cm diameter biscuit cutter to cut out discs. Place a disc on top of each choux. Place choux in oven and bake until puffed, golden and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Turn off oven, prop open slightly and leave choux in oven for a further 10-15 to dry out in the centre. Remove from oven and cool.
- To make the Pistachio Pastry Cream, place egg yolks and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until slightly pale and thickened. Add the cornflour and whisk until combined.
- Meanwhile, place milk in a medium saucepan and set over medium high heat until just starting to boil. Remove from heat and slowly pour the heated milk over the egg mixture, while whisking to incorporate.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and set over medium high heat. Whisk until mixture boils and reaches a very thick custard like consistency. Remove from heat.
- Place the pistachios and a tablespoon of the thickened pastry cream in a food processor and process to a paste. Add paste and butter to the remaining pastry cream and whisk to combine. Pour into a tray and cover surface with cling wrap to avoid a skin developing. Set aside in fridge.
- To make the Chocolate, Coffee and Cardamom pastry cream, place egg yolks and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until slightly pale and thickened. Add the cornflour and whisk until combined.
- Meanwhile, place milk, coffee and cardamom in a medium saucepan and set over medium high heat until just starting to boil. Remove from heat and slowly pour the heated milk over the egg mixture, while whisking to incorporate.
- Return mixture to the saucepan and set over medium high heat. Whisk until mixture boils and reaches a very thick custard like consistency. Remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and butter, stirring to melt and combine. Pour into a tray and cover surface with cling wrap to avoid a skin developing. Set aside in fridge.
- For the Caramel, place the sugar in a saucepan, set over medium high heat until dissolved and a deep golden caramel colour. Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the base briefly into a bowl of cold water to prevent the caramel from cooking further. Set aside until needed.
- To assemble, remove Pistachio Pastry Cream from fridge and transfer to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium high speed for 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Repeat with the Chocolate, Coffee and Cardamom Pastry Cream.
- By inserting the tip of the piping bag into the bottom of each Choux, fill the Green Sable Choux with the Pistachio Pastry Cream and the Cardamom Sable Choux with the Chocolate, Coffee and Cardamom Pastry Cream.
- Return the caramel to a low heat to warm, if necessary.
- Lightly oil the inside of a croquembouche cone. Place one Choux inside the point of the cone, then one by one, dip the side of each Choux in the warm caramel and join onto the Choux previously placed into the cone, ensuring the tops of the choux face outward. Continue until all Choux are attached.
- Invert the cone onto a plate and lightly tap to release the croquembouche. Garnish with rose petals, pistachio nuts and a sprinkle of edible glitter.
