Croquembouche Cupcakes

Johanna noticed these cute little goodies on this website as part of the May 2010 Daring Baker's challenge. I recently joined The Daring Bakers, and my first challenge was in June, with the decadent Chocolate Pavlovas.


So, I thought there wouldn't be any harm in going back a month and trying out that one too, since we were looking for some festive cupcakes to make for the 4th of July. So, here is our version adapted from here.





















Vanilla Pastry Cream
We used a different recipe for the vanilla pastry cream, because I have an aversion to using cornstarch. The recipe is from Epicurious, and is linked here
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half. Transfer to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter
1 large egg + 1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each one, then beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the remaining dry ingredients, and leave the milk in the measuring cup. Add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with the milk, which should be added in 2 additions. After each addition, mix until just incorporated. Do not overbeat. Divide the batter among the muffin tins, only adding one spoonful at a time. The cups should be less than half full, they will puff up in the oven and you don't want the cups to be more than half full when fully baked. Bake for 10-15 minutes, watching closely, and check for doneness with a toothpick. Let cool on a rack, and these can be made the day before.

Pate Choux
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
¾ cup water
6 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs

Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. Once boiled, remove from heat and add the flour, stirring to combine completely. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to cool slightly. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Leaving the feed tube open add one egg at a time and pulse until incorporated with each addition. Transfer completed pate choux to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe small dots the size of ½ an inch wide and tall onto parchment paper. Dip your finger in water and smooth any tips that have formed. Brush each top with some lightly beaten egg whites. Bake for 13 minutes. Cool completely before filling with cream.

Spun Sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepot until mixture resembles wet sand. Place saucepot over medium heat. Heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pans and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating and stirring until mixture resembles a clear amber color. Remove from heat immediately and place bottom in a pan of ice water to stop the heat.

Assembly


1. Carve a hole with your tip in the puff pastry and then fill with cream.
2. To assemble the mount, carefully dip puff pastry in caramel and stack one on top of another. The caramel will work as the glue to hold the structure.
3. To create the spun sugar use a whisk with cut ends or a handful of wooden skewers fanned out. Dip the end of your chosen tool in the caramel and allow excess to drip down into the pot. Gently let end of dripping caramel touch the structure. This will anchor the caramel as you move it in the direction you want the spun sugar to be formed.