Croquembouche

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat milk, butter, granulated sugar, salt, and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally to melt butter. As soon as butter is melted, add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon, carefully at first to incorporate, then vigorously, until dough forms a single mass. Continue stirring, slapping dough against sides of saucepan with spoon, until dough leaves a thick film on bottom of pan and pulls away from sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let rest 3 minutes.
2. Using a wooden spoon, mix 5 eggs into dough one at a time, making sure to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next. Dough will look broken when eggs are added, but will come back together as you stir. The final texture should be smooth, glossy, and somewhat stretchy.
3. Fit pastry bag with round tip. Spoon dough into bag. Holding bag at an angle so the tip is just touching prepared baking sheet on one side, gently start to squeeze out dough. Without moving the tip, pipe dough until you have a 1½" round. Repeat, staggering rounds and spacing 2" apart.
4. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl until no streaks remain and lightly brush tops of dough. Bake 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350˚. Continue to bake until puffs are deep golden brown all over and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 10–15 minutes.
5. Place milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan, then scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until very pale and light, about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch, whisking until no powdery dry spots remain. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture. Transfer back to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and holds whisk marks, about 2 minutes.
7. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface; chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
8. Fit pastry bag with star tip. Transfer chilled pastry cream to bag. Working one at a time, poke a hole into the bottom of each puff with a paring knife. Gently pipe in pastry cream to fill.
9. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and trace an 8" circle on parchment; turn it over.
10. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and ½ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, brushing down sides with a damp pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, until caramel turns a light amber color. Set bottom of saucepan in ice water to stop the cooking and firm caramel slightly.
11. Carefully dip tops of filled puffs in caramel and place, caramel side up, on an unlined rimmed baking sheet; let sit until caramel is set.

My notes