Mini Dutch Bossche Bol Croquembouche Cupcakes - Daring Bakers' May 2010 Challenge

I am extremely excited when this month Daring Bakers' Challenge was announced. Mr J and Miss C adores Profiteroles especially the Dutch version called Bossche Bol.

Bossche Bol is made by filling choux pastry with sweetened whipped cream and glazing it with melted chocolate. A typical Bossche bol has a diameter of about 12 cm which is larger than the standard size of profiterole.

Ideas started brewing in my mind. I remember seeing a cupcake recipe called toffee tumblers in an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook that uses mini choux to decorate the cupcakes. Hence, this Mini Dutch Bossche Bol Croquembouche Cupcake is born!

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Pate a Choux (Choux Pastry) Recipe
Yield: About 200 mini choux

Ingredients

¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Preparing batter: Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.
3. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
4. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.
5. Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.
6. As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.
7. It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.
8. Piping: Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with 1 cm plain tip. Pipe about 200 tiny dollops pf pastry (about 1/2 level teaspoon). Pipe choux about 2 cm-part in the baking sheets.

   

9. Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.
10. Baking: Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 7 minutes.
11. Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 14 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.
    Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

    

12. To assemble: Cut a 2 cm deep hole in the centre of each cupcake (I use Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcakes. recipes follows).

    

13. Fill will freshly whipped cream (recipe follows).

    

14. Replace lid.

    

15. Spread tops of cupcakes with a little more cream.

    

16. Top with a layer of mini choux.

    

17. Stack remaining mini choux on cupcakes dipping each in a little cream.

    

18. Make chocolate glaze (recipe follows), drizzle over mini choux.

Vanilla Cupcakes:
I use vanilla cupcake recipes from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. Recipe can be found HERE. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Sweeten Whipped Cream:
Whipped 300 ml fresh cream with 1 1/2 tbsp of castor sugar until soft peak form.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I use Lindt 50% dark chocolate). Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.