Do you prefer your Croquembouche with spun sugar, almonds or sparklers? There are many choices and many styles available for wedding day parties and themes. But where do you start?
First off what is a croquembouche?
It is a French dessert consisting of choux pastry balls piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel. In Italy and France, it is often served at weddings, baptisms, and first communions. The name comes from the French phrase croque en bouche that means "something that crunches in the mouth".
A croquembouche tower is composed of profiteroles (choux pastry balls) that are piled into a cone shape and then bound with threads of caramel and/or spun sugar. There is no limit to decorations, some decorate with sugared almonds, chocolate, flowers and even ribbons. Modern versions of the croquembouche may be covered in macarons or even chocolate ganache.
The invention of the croquembouche has been attributed to Antonin Carême although no evidence has been found. Although many early 19th century cookbooks also mention a dish called croquembouche which is savory and not sweet.