Chocolate Orange Croquembouche
Sweet and satisfying, this chocolate orange croquembouche recipe from The Great British Bake Off finalist, Ruby Bhogal, demonstrates how to make a crowd-pleasing profiterole dessert from start to finish. Featuring a crisp choux pastry, Frangelico liquor filling, and topped with speckles of gold leaf, this dish is great for celebrations or impressing guests.
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
125ml Full Fat Milk
125ml Water
5g Salt
10g Caster Sugar
112g Unsalted Butter
137g Plain Flour
3.5/4 Medium Eggs
Chocolate Orange Filling
300g Mascarpone Cheese
600ml Double Cream
75g Caster Sugar
200g Gianduja
1.5tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
2tbsps Frangelico Hazelnut Liquor
Zest of 2 Large Oranges
Caramel
450g Caster Sugar
120ml Water
90g Liquid Glucose
Decorate
Gold Leaf
Edible Flowers
Method
- Add the butter to a warming drawer to soften. Turn steam oven onto 240C no fan, steam.
- Remove the butter from the warming drawer. To make the choux pastry place the butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt into a small heavy bottom pan on a medium heat. Make sure the butter is thoroughly melted.
- Quickly place all the flour in one go into the pan, take off heat and quickly mix with a wooden spoon. Place back on medium heat and continue to cook out the flour for approx. 5 mins continuously beating well.
- Place flour mixture into a stand mixer bowl and slowly beat to help release all the steam to cool quickly. When the base of the bowl is cool enough to touch, then slowly begin to add the eggs in (you may not need all 4), beating until the mixture is nice and shiny and smooth.
- In a piping bag, place in nozzle and transfer profiterole mixture into bag.
- Place a silicone mat onto a baking tray and begin to pipe the mixture into 2cm circles. Place on a middle shelf in the oven, bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, lower temp to 175 and cook for another 20 mins.
- Remove profiteroles from the oven and with a skewer, pierce a hole in the bottom of each and place back in the oven for a further 10 mins to thoroughly dry out.
- In the meantime, place the mascarpone into the base of the stand mixer bowl. Mix on a medium speed to loosen. Add in the double cream, vanilla bean paste, Frangelico liquor, Gianduja paste, sugar and orange zest.
- Mix on a slow speed until combined and mixed to a medium/thick consistency.
- Place into a piping bag with a small round nozzle inside and place to chill in the fridge.
- Once the profiteroles are dry and crisp pipe the filling into each profiterole until the cream begins to leak out at the bottom.
- To make the caramel place the sugar, water and liquid glucose into a medium-sized pan. Cook over a medium heat and cook until the edges start to get a golden colour.
- When it becomes golden, sprinkle in some salt flakes.
- Allow to cool slightly.
- Carefully dip the cooked and cooled choux bun tops into the caramel. Begin with the base by using the choux to form a rough circle. Continue to stack the choux on top to form a cone. Leave to firm and set.
- Gently reheat the caramel to make the spun sugar and use a fork to flick back and forth over the choux cone or over the back of a metal spoon before placing over the choux.
- Decorate with speckles of gold leaf and edible flowers.
