Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Chocolate, Kirsch and Cherry Croquembouche
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
2 hours
45 minutes
5 hours (plus overnight chilling)
Serves:
1 tower (about 30 buns), serves 8–10
Christiaan created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 15. For 1970s Week, he reimagined the Black Forest gâteau as a croquembouche of cocoa choux buns capped with crisp craquelin, filled with cherry-kirsch jam and a silky chocolate-kirsch namelaka. The judges admired how uniform and attra...
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Ingredients
FOR THE COCOA CRAQUELIN:
1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter, soft
1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (65 g) plain (AP) flour
2 tbsp (12 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CHOUX (PÂTE À CHOUX):
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (3 g) fine salt
3/4 cup (100 g) plain (AP) flour, sifted
3 tbsp (18 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 large eggs (~200 g), beaten; add to consistency
FOR THE CHERRY-KIRSCH JAM:
2 cups (300 g) pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp (30 ml) kirsch, stir in off heat
FOR THE CHOCOLATE-KIRSCH NAMELAKA (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD):
1 sheet (2 g) gelatine, bloomed (or 1/2 tsp powder)
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
1 tbsp (12 g) glucose / light corn syrup
5 oz (145 g) dark chocolate (55–64%), finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) kirsch
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, straight from the fridge
FOR THE KIRSCH CHANTILLY:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp (16 g) icing (powdered) sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) kirsch
1/2 tsp (2 ml) vanilla extract
FOR THE CARAMEL & TO FINISH:
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, for the caramel
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
12–15 fresh cherries, stems on, to decorate
Dark chocolate shards / cocoa, to taste, optional finish
EQUIPMENT:
Piping bags with a plain round tip (~1 cm) and a small plain tip
Heavy saucepan for the caramel (a light-coloured base helps judge colour)
Stand mixer or hand whisk
Stick / immersion blender (for the namelaka emulsion)
Baking trays with parchment or a perforated choux mat
Round cookie cutter (~3 cm) to stamp craquelin discs
Fine sieve; instant-read or sugar thermometer
Cone mould or free-form stacking surface; gloves for hot caramel
Method
STEP 1: COCOA CRAQUELIN (MAKE FIRST)
Beat the soft butter with the light brown sugar, then mix in the flour and cocoa to a smooth paste. Roll between two sheets of parchment to about 2 mm — keep it thin; a thick disc smothers the rise. Freeze flat, then stamp about 3 cm discs and return to the freezer until needed.
STEP 2: CHOCOLATE CHOUX
Heat the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt until the butter melts and it reaches a rolling boil. Off the heat, beat in the sifted flour and cocoa all at once. Return to medium heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry the paste, until a thin film forms on the pan. Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs a little at a time until the paste is glossy and falls in a slow V. Pipe about 3 cm mounds, spaced apart, and sit a frozen craquelin disc on each. Bake at 400°F / 200°C for 10 minutes, then at 350°F / 175°C for 15–20 minutes until firm and hollow; do not open the oven early. Pierce the bases and dry out for 3–4 minutes, then cool fully.
STEP 3: CHERRY-KIRSCH JAM
Simmer the cherries, sugar and lemon juice until thick and jammy, 15–20 minutes, mashing lightly. Off the heat, stir in the kirsch. Cool completely; it should be pipeable, not runny.
STEP 4: CHOCOLATE-KIRSCH NAMELAKA (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD)
Bloom the gelatine. Warm the milk with the glucose to a simmer; off the heat, stir in the bloomed gelatine. Pour over the chopped dark chocolate in three additions, stirring to a smooth, elastic emulsion. Add the kirsch, then the cold cream. Blend with a stick blender until silky, keeping the tip submerged to avoid bubbles. Cover against the surface and chill overnight (or at least 6 hours) until set enough to pipe.
STEP 5: KIRSCH CHANTILLY
Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar, kirsch and vanilla to firm peaks. Keep chilled.
STEP 6: FILL THE BUNS
Pierce each bun's base. Pipe in a little cherry-kirsch jam, then fill with the chocolate-kirsch namelaka.
STEP 7: CARAMEL & ASSEMBLY
Combine the sugar and water in a heavy pan. Cook without stirring to a golden amber, about 8–10 minutes, then take off the heat at once. Working carefully — the caramel is dangerously hot — dip the side or base of each bun and build the cone ring by ring, narrowing as you climb. Pipe rosettes of kirsch Chantilly between the buns and at the base, and tuck in fresh cherries. Finish with dark chocolate shards or a dusting of cocoa, and optional spun-sugar threads.
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Instructions
FOR THE COCOA CRAQUELIN:
1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter, soft
1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (65 g) plain (AP) flour
2 tbsp (12 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CHOUX (PÂTE À CHOUX):
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (3 g) fine salt
3/4 cup (100 g) plain (AP) flour, sifted
3 tbsp (18 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 large eggs (~200 g), beaten; add to consistency
FOR THE CHERRY-KIRSCH JAM:
2 cups (300 g) pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp (30 ml) kirsch, stir in off heat
FOR THE CHOCOLATE-KIRSCH NAMELAKA (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD):
1 sheet (2 g) gelatine, bloomed (or 1/2 tsp powder)
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
1 tbsp (12 g) glucose / light corn syrup
5 oz (145 g) dark chocolate (55–64%), finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) kirsch
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, straight from the fridge
FOR THE KIRSCH CHANTILLY:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp (16 g) icing (powdered) sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) kirsch
1/2 tsp (2 ml) vanilla extract
FOR THE CARAMEL & TO FINISH:
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, for the caramel
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
12–15 fresh cherries, stems on, to decorate
Dark chocolate shards / cocoa, to taste, optional finish
EQUIPMENT:
Piping bags with a plain round tip (~1 cm) and a small plain tip
Heavy saucepan for the caramel (a light-coloured base helps judge colour)
Stand mixer or hand whisk
Stick / immersion blender (for the namelaka emulsion)
Baking trays with parchment or a perforated choux mat
Round cookie cutter (~3 cm) to stamp craquelin discs
Fine sieve; instant-read or sugar thermometer
Cone mould or free-form stacking surface; gloves for hot caramel
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: COCOA CRAQUELIN (MAKE FIRST)
Beat the soft butter with the light brown sugar, then mix in the flour and cocoa to a smooth paste. Roll between two sheets of parchment to about 2 mm — keep it thin; a thick disc smothers the rise. Freeze flat, then stamp about 3 cm discs and return to the freezer until needed.
STEP 2: CHOCOLATE CHOUX
Heat the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt until the butter melts and it reaches a rolling boil. Off the heat, beat in the sifted flour and cocoa all at once. Return to medium heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry the paste, until a thin film forms on the pan. Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs a little at a time until the paste is glossy and falls in a slow V. Pipe about 3 cm mounds, spaced apart, and sit a frozen craquelin disc on each. Bake at 400°F / 200°C for 10 minutes, then at 350°F / 175°C for 15–20 minutes until firm and hollow; do not open the oven early. Pierce the bases and dry out for 3–4 minutes, then cool fully.
STEP 3: CHERRY-KIRSCH JAM
Simmer the cherries, sugar and lemon juice until thick and jammy, 15–20 minutes, mashing lightly. Off the heat, stir in the kirsch. Cool completely; it should be pipeable, not runny.
STEP 4: CHOCOLATE-KIRSCH NAMELAKA (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD)
Bloom the gelatine. Warm the milk with the glucose to a simmer; off the heat, stir in the bloomed gelatine. Pour over the chopped dark chocolate in three additions, stirring to a smooth, elastic emulsion. Add the kirsch, then the cold cream. Blend with a stick blender until silky, keeping the tip submerged to avoid bubbles. Cover against the surface and chill overnight (or at least 6 hours) until set enough to pipe.
STEP 5: KIRSCH CHANTILLY
Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar, kirsch and vanilla to firm peaks. Keep chilled.
STEP 6: FILL THE BUNS
Pierce each bun's base. Pipe in a little cherry-kirsch jam, then fill with the chocolate-kirsch namelaka.
STEP 7: CARAMEL & ASSEMBLY
Combine the sugar and water in a heavy pan. Cook without stirring to a golden amber, about 8–10 minutes, then take off the heat at once. Working carefully — the caramel is dangerously hot — dip the side or base of each bun and build the cone ring by ring, narrowing as you climb. Pipe rosettes of kirsch Chantilly between the buns and at the base, and tuck in fresh cherries. Finish with dark chocolate shards or a dusting of cocoa, and optional spun-sugar threads.
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