Christmas day dessert idea - anyone made a croquembouche?

vicisthebest

vicisthebest

vicisthebest

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Evening all, going to mum's for Christmas dinner as usual this year but as I'm now working and living away from home I wanted to contribute to the meal. She's suggested I bring dessert.

With this in mind I have wanted for ages to have a go at a croquembouche, and am wondering if this is the perfect time.

Has anyone ever tried making one? How did it turn out? Do you think it's a bad idea after a big Christmas dinner, and I should make something simpler and lighter?

What do y'all think?

Edit: to clarify, there will be 7 of us for dinner, so it won't be a MASSIVE one.
 
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Just thinking about this, you can build them free hand, but to be neat need a mould and those are expensive. Was thinking why not just use an acetate sheet and roll it into a one. They're pretty cheap.
But what size sheet would you need?
Can anyone roughly work it out, compared to the moulds.
Medium molds seem to be
Base diameter 30cm, height 50cm
 
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This recipe calls for an A1 size piece of card/paper which is 841 x 594 mm.

Make the cone. Make a pencil mark halfway along a long edge of the A1 card. Mark the halfway position along both short edges and draw a line from each point to the mark on the long edge. Attach one end of the string to the pencil and holding the other end at the point on the long edge, draw a curve from the point on one short side to the point on the opposite side. Cut out the card shape and use as a template to cut out the same shape in foil. Tape the foil over the card and roll up (foil inside), overlapping the straight edges to make a cone shape with a 20cm diameter opening. Secure with tape and snip 10cm off the point of the cone.
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http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1801/croquembouche
 
I'm tempted to make one now as well. How 'solid' are they when they are made?

I need to get a train and then a car down country lanes before going down a dirt track to get to the place I'm going for Christmas. I suspect transporting it fully made that far is a recipe for disaster! Guess I could make it all at my house and then assemble it at my final destination the night before Christmas.
 
I would have thought so, especially as its filled with cream.
It's glued to gather with caramel so I imagine is reasonably strong, especially if left in mold.
Or change its shape, but not sure I would want cream filled shoepastry to be left that long.
 
I'd probably assemble at the other end, or like Glac says, leave in the mould. If you nail your pastry, it should be OK, right? lol simple... :p

Thread and pics if you do!
 
The shoe pastries will last a few days in a sealed container on a cool place. However filled ones. I don't know but being cream they would need to be refrigerated. If you can refrigerate it made I not see there being issues. Eclairs and chos buns last fine and they're essentially the same.
 
BrightonBelle said:
Ha ha!! Had to laugh :p

Choux?

:)

Are you making the caramel netting too?

BB x
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At the shoe bit? That's it's name.
Choux is also the name of the pastry, but more commonly in Britain choux bun.
Shoe pastry filled with cream and covered in hard choclate(bun shaped eclaire) where profiteroles are the same but covered in hot choclate/fudge sauce.

I will be trying to make sugar work, but I've never succeeded in spinning sugar. So we will see. Will get a sugar thermometer and watch lots of vids.
 
Glaucus said:
At the shoe bit? That's it's name.
Choux is also the name of the pastry, but more commonly in Britain choux bun.
Shoe pastry filled with cream and covered in hard choclate(bun shaped eclaire) where profiteroles are the same but covered in hot choclate/fudge sauce.

I will be trying to make sugar work, but I've never succeeded in spinning sugar. So we will see. Will get a sugar thermometer and watch lots of vids.
Click to expand...

It's spelt choux pastry, not 'shoe'. Pronounced the same though ;).
 
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