CROQUEMBOUCHE

For the Pate Choux:

2 large eggs + 1 egg white (enough for 2/3 c.)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons half n’ half
1 tablespoon sorghum flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon guar gum

Preheat oven to 425ºF and line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, water, half n’ half, sugar and salt over a medium-low flame until the butter has melted completely and the mixture has just come to a gentle boil.

In a small bowl, combine all the remaining dry ingredients, except the baking powder and stir to combine.

Pour eggs and egg white into a measuring cup, whisk thoroughly, and set aside.

After your butter has come to a boil, add your dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon, using a scraping motion, for three minutes. Once the dough pulls easily from the sides of the pan, and there is a thin veil of butterfat residue on the bottom of the pan, your dough is ready.

Immediately transfer dough to a food processor with the blade attachment and pulse for 20 seconds to cool slightly. Add baking powder to the eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour egg mixture in a slow steady stream into the food processor until you have a thick, smooth sticky paste, about 1 ½ minutes.

Take a pastry bag, fitted with a 1” plain tip and pipe your choux onto your prepared baking sheet, being careful to make them as uniform as possible. Take a wet spoon and smooth the tops of the choux and then bake immediately at 425ºF for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for 7 minutes more. Do not open the oven door even once during the baking process. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

When you slice the choux in half, they should have a nice outer crust and an equally nice hollow center.

Makes 20 small choux.

For the Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup apricot preserves, strained

Strain the apricot preserves and then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a #5 tip and set aside.

Whip your heavy cream. When it begins to hold soft folds, add the granulated sugar and continue to whip on high till marble-like folds are visible and the cream holds a proud stiffness when the beaters are removed. Spoon your cream into another pastry bag fitted with a #5 or a #7 tip and set aside.

Take four choux and set them aside. These will be sliced in half to form the base of your tree. Fill the remaining 16 choux as follows:

First inject with a scant amount of the strained apricot preserves and then follow with the whipped cream. Fill the choux with the cream until you can feel them bulge ever so slightly.

Once all of your choux are filled, make your caramel.

For the Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar and water until you have a rich cognac color. Immediately remove from the heat and begin assembling your croquembouche.

Take your sliced choux and arrange them, sliced face down, until you have a flat stable base. Working quickly, dip the edges of the choux into the caramel and hold together for several second until the sugar sets. Once your base is complete, begin gluing the filled choux together in the exact same way. Keep constructing until all of your choux have been used.

Decorate with powdered sugar; spun sugar, flowers or anything else you feel would be eye-catching.

Serves 6

	3 comments
Sheltie Girl says Dec 17, 2007 - 11:54 am	Lovely job on the croquembouche. I love the filling. Happy Holidays! Sheltie Girl @ Gluten A Go Go
Jeena says Dec 19, 2007 - 1:51 pm	Hi there your blog is beautiful how lovely of you to be able to make gluten free choux pastry! I would love to exchange links with you here is my gluten free xmas cake link Click here for gluten free christmas cake recipe Jeena
* says Feb 2, 2008 - 8:35 pm	this is so fabulous!!
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