John Barricellis Croquembouche Recipes

JOHN BARRICELLI'S CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Place pastry cream in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip; pipe cream into puffs, inserting the tip into the bottom of each. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice water bath. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Wash down the sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Continue cooking without stirring until sugar has dissolved, 5 to 6 minutes. Raise heat to high, and cook until syrup is amber-colored, about 5 minutes, swirling pan to brown evenly. Remove from heat, and dip bottom of pan in the ice bath 3 seconds to stop the cooking. Transfer pan to a heatproof surface.
• Dip bottom half of each filled puff into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. Place puffs, dipped side down, on a serving platter. Make sure the puffs are touching and adhere to one another. Once ring is complete, make another one on top of the first ring, forming a pyramid shape. If at any point the caramel begins to harden in the pan, reheat briefly over a low flame.
• For the spun sugar, make a second batch of caramel with remaining 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Let cool slightly. Test by dipping a handheld whisk with the top cut off into the caramel and holding it over the pan; the caramel should fall back into pan in long golden threads. Dip whisk into caramel, and spin caramel threads over a large piece of parchment paper or onto a wooden rack. Transfer spun-sugar to croquembouche, swirling to cover.

JOHN BARRICELLI'S PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. Continue adding milk mixture, 1 cup at a time, until it has been incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and begins to boil, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; beat on medium speed until butter melts and mixture cools, about 5 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed until smooth (you can also whisk by hand).

JOHN BARRICELLI'S PATE A CHOUX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine butter, sugar, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour until combined. Return pan to medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium, and add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next. Test batter by touching it with your finger and lifting to form a soft peak. If a soft peak does not form, the batter needs more egg. If you have added all the whole eggs and batter still does not form a soft peak, lightly beat remaining egg whites, and add a little at a time.
• Immediately transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco #808), and pipe puffs onto a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Gently smooth any pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until puffs are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool completely.