Croquembouche Cone Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 6 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add 1 or 2 more eggs, and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough in big kisses onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Whisk 2 eggs with 3 teaspoons of water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash to knock down the points (do not use all the egg wash.) Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375-degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. The recipe can be made up to this point and frozen in plastic bags. Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and any flavorings if you want to make a different flavor like chocolate or coffee. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Poke a hole with a plain pastry tip in the bottom of each cream puff and pipe it full of the custard.
• Caramel: Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with the water, making an "X" through the sugar with your finger to allow the water to slowly soak into the sugar. Boil to make a light golden caramel then dip the bottom of the pan in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Dip the sides of the puffs in the caramel and stick them together (approximately 20 cream puffs) in a circle, tops facing out. Make a second row on top of the first but a bit smaller to draw the circle in and create a tower of cream puffs. Check it from all sides occasionally to make sure it's straight. When it's finished, drizzle it with caramel all over. You can also stick on decorative elements with the caramel in the crevices, like candied violets, gold balls, gum paste flowers, sugar covered almonds, etc.

Steps:

• Put a 3 7/8-by-11 7/8-inch Styrofoam craft cone on a serving platter. Starting at the bottom of the cone and working in an upward spiral, insert a row of wooden toothpicks 2 inches apart. Insert 5 more evenly spaced rows of toothpicks around the cone.
• Press a large White Chocolate Strawberry onto one toothpick in the first row (place the large strawberries on the bottom and work up to the smaller strawberries on top). Repeat the process with the Cream Puffs on the next row of toothpicks. Add the Meringue Swirls on the row after that. Repeat with the strawberries, cream puffs and meringues on the remaining 3 rows. Fill in any holes by adding more toothpicks to the cone and pressing on the remaining strawberries, cream puffs and meringues. Slip the Meringue Leaves into any gaps, distributing them evenly around the croquembouche. Gently drape the tower with the Spun Sugar and serve immediately.
• Lightly spray a baking rack with nonstick cooking spray and set in a rimmed baking sheet. Using a paring knife, trim off the tops of the strawberries. Put the strawberries top-side down on the prepared rack and place in the freezer until very cold but not frozen, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, about 3 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chocolate over each strawberry and let set, about 30 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over some of the set strawberries to create stripes; spoon some more of the chocolate over the remaining strawberries and decorate with the sanding sugars and sprinkles. Let set completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the pastry: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, add all the flour at once and stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 seconds more. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition until they are completely incorporated and the mixture is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe fourteen 2-inch-wide cream puffs onto one of the prepared baking sheets with half the dough, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Pipe twenty-eight 1-inch-wide cream puffs onto the other baking sheet with the remaining dough. Dip your finger in water and use it to smooth out any bumps or points in the dough.
• Bake the cream puffs for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F; continue to bake until the cream puffs are puffed up and golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• For the whipped cream: Combine the cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with small round tip.
• Set aside all 14 of the 2-inch puffs and 16 of the 1-inch puffs for filling (freeze the extra puffs for later use or fill and eat them separately). Use the pastry tip to gently poke a hole in the bottom of the reserved puffs. Pipe the cream into the puffs until they are just filled (do not overfill).
• For the glaze: Put the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in the juice until smooth. Dip the top of each cream puff in the glaze, letting the excess drip off before turning over and placing on a cooling rack. Let rest until the glaze is dry and shiny, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use an electric hand mixer); beat on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium high; beat in the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes more. Remove 1 cup of the meringue to a small bowl and whisk in the green and yellow food coloring. Beat the red food coloring into the remaining meringue.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip with the pink meringue. Pipe half the meringue into 2-inch swirls on half of a prepared baking sheet, spacing the swirls about 1/2 inch apart. Pipe the remaining pink meringue into 1-inch swirls on the other half of the baking sheet.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip with the green meringue. Pipe a variety of leaves on the second prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the meringues until dry, 30 to 45 minutes; you do not want any color or browning on the swirls. Remove the meringues from the oven and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Reserve 8 of the larger swirls, 7 of the smaller swirls and 25 of the leaves for the croquembouche. Store any extras in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cook to 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Let cool to 275 degrees F.
• Position 2 wooden spoons 2 feet apart on similar-size bowls with their handles sticking out over the edge by 6 inches. Put newspaper or foil on the counter below the spoons.
• Dip a fork in the sugar syrup and flick it back and forth over the spoon handles to create lots of long thin threads. Repeat 3 to 4 times, then gently gather up the threads and put them on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sugar until it is all spun.

Steps:

• For the croquembouche: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and dump the flour directly into the pan. Stir the mixture into a paste with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to medium heat. Stir the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the paste to a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until slightly cooled, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one thoroughly before adding the next. Before adding the last egg, beat it in a small bowl. Add it by tablespoons to the mixture, just until the batter is smooth and tight. If the batter starts to get loose, do not add all of the last egg.
• Fill a large pastry bag fitted with an open tip with the batter. Pipe twelve 1-inch circular mounds about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. (Alternatively, use a large spoon to form the dough into mounds.) Dab the tops of each puff with a fingertip dipped in water to smooth.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the puffs from the oven and use a sharp paring knife to pierce each side. Return the puffs to the oven until dry and crisp, another 5 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• For the meringue frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixing bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, lemon zest and juice, egg whites, cream of tarter and salt by hand in the mixing bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, about 5 minutes. Add a few drops of desired food coloring if using and continue beating until it holds stiff peaks.
• To assemble: Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch round tip (a long eclair filling tip works great for this) and add the frosting to the bag. Insert the tip into the slit in the side of each puff and fill with frosting.
• Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or in a microwave. Start by dipping a small bit of each puff into the melted white chocolate. Create an even round layer with the puffs on a 12- to 14-inch serving platter, using the chocolate to adhere. Place the platter in the refrigerator and allow to set for 10 minutes. Repeat with additional layer of puffs on top of the first, decreasing in size to create a "tower" effect and reheating the white chocolate to melt as needed. In between each layer, place the plate back in the fridge and allow to set for 10 minutes. When you reach the top, use the remaining white chocolate to drizzle over the top of the tower. Return the platter to the fridge and remove 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

Steps:

• Using tape, cover cone with paper. Place cone on turntable if using.
• Arrange 1 ring doughnut holes around base of cone, placing as closely together as possible. Insert toothpick through each doughnut hole into cone to attach doughnut hole to cone, leaving end of toothpick sticking out (you'll push it in later with thimble).
• Attach second ring of doughnut holes above first, again packing tightly and staggering so doughnut holes in second ring are not directly above doughnut holes in first ring.
• Continue in same manner to attach remaining doughnut holes. For top tiers, if desired, slice off small amount of each doughnut hole on side facing toward cone to make shape more tapering. Finish covering cone with 1 doughnut hole attached to top of cone.
• Using thimble, push in toothpicks until not visible.
• Decorate by pushing candies and leaves into gaps between doughnut holes. If candies won't adhere, dip in corn syrup-water mixtur before attaching.
• If desired, drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce. Croquembouche keeps, covered loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerated, 2 to 3 days.

Steps:

• Three days ahead (or 1 month and freeze): preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan oven 180C. Lightly butter 3 large baking sheets. Sift the flour onto a large square of greaseproof paper. Put the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan with 450ml/3⁄4pint water and gently heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil then immediately tip in the flour, all in one go. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball that comes away from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition, until the mixture is glossy and only just holding its shape. You may not need to add all the beaten egg. Spoon and pack half the mixture into a large polythene freezer bag. Twist the opening to secure and snip off a 1cm tip from the corner (or use a piping bag and 1cm plain nozzle).
• Pipe small rounds, about 2cm in diameter, on to the baking sheets, trimming the paste from the bag with a knife. Leave room between them to allow for spreading. You should end up with about 75 rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, in batches if necessary depending on how many baking sheets you have, until well risen and golden, rotating the baking sheets half way through cooking. As soon as the pastry is cooked, make a 1cm slit on the side of each bun to let the steam escape. (This stops them turning soggy as they cool). Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry them out, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container (or freeze).
• Make the cone. Make a pencil mark halfway along a long edge of the A1 card. Mark the halfway position along both short edges and draw a line from each point to the mark on the long edge. Attach one end of the string to the pencil and holding the other end at the point on the long edge, draw a curve from the point on one short side to the point on the opposite side. Cut out the card shape and use as a template to cut out the same shape in foil. Tape the foil over the card and roll up (foil inside), overlapping the straight edges to make a cone shape with a 20cm diameter opening. Secure with tape and snip 10cm off the point of the cone.
• Two days ahead: make the limoncello cream. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Bring the milk to the boil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. As soon as it reaches the boil, pour it over the egg mixture, stirring well. Return to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is very thick and bubbling. Stir in the liqueur and transfer to a bowl. Cover the surface with a circle of greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• The day before: if the buns are a bit soft when you take them out of the container, lay them in a single layer on baking sheets and re-crisp in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Fill them sparingly with the limoncello cream by piping as before. You can always pipe in a little extra if you have any mixture leftover.
• Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a bowl of gently simmering water. (Or melt in the microwave on Medium for 2-3 minutes.) Give the chocolate an occasional stir until it has just melted. Turn off the heat.
• Rest the cone inside a vase or jug for support. Put a small bun into the point of the cone with the bun's base face up. Spoon 1 tsp of melted chocolate onto the base and secure two small buns over the first, again with base up. Spoon over another teaspoon of chocolate. It's a little difficult working at the tip of the cone but it gets much easier as the cone gets wider.
• Work up the cone, packing in the buns quite firmly, drizzling the chocolate (see left) and working in horizontal layers until the cone is filled. Make sure that each bun is firmly secured in place with chocolate before proceeding to the next layer and make sure the last layer forms a flat base for the cake. Keep the filled cone in the coolest place overnight.
• On the day: carefully invert the cone on to a flat serving plate and lift away the cone. Gently peel away the foil if it hasn't come away already. Put the remaining 100g/4oz sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan with 5 tbsp water. Heat very gently, stirring slowly until it has dissolved to make a smooth syrup. Take care not to splash the syrup up the sides of the pan or it may crystallise and solidify.
• Bring the syrup to the boil and cook for 4-6 minutes, watching closely until it turns a rich golden colour. Take off the heat and dip the base of the pan in cold water to prevent further cooking. Stand back as the pan will splutter noisily. Carefully dip the ends of the sugared almonds and roses in caramel and secure around the cake, scattering a few on the plate.
• Using a teaspoon, drizzle more caramel around the buns so that it falls in fine threads. If the caramel hardens before you've finished decorating, gently reheat it, taking care not to burn it. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar. To serve the cake, it is easiest if you have one server to break pieces off for the guests, starting from the top and working down.

Steps:

• Place a dot of chocolate on a serving plate large enough to accommodate a 3-by-9-inch Styrofoam cone; place the cone on top of the chocolate and let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Using an offset spatula, cover the cone in the melted chocolate; refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Break a toothpick in half and insert it, broken-end first, into the bottom edge of the cone. Place a frozen cream puff on the end of the toothpick. Continue this process around the bottom edge of the cone, placing cream puffs so that they touch. Continue placing cream puffs in this manner as you travel up the cone, occasionally placing a macaron on a toothpick instead of a cream puff. At the very top of the cone, insert a toothpick upright and place a macaron on top, also upright. Dust the centerpiece with confectioners' sugar using a sieve. Tuck flowers among the cream puffs and macarons. Allow the assembled croquembouche to come to room temperature and serve.

Steps:

• Make the pastry puffs: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup water, the butter, granulated sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and sift the flour directly into the pan; stir with a wooden spoon until a paste forms. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is shiny and pulls away from the side of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 egg until incorporated, then beat in 1 more egg. Whisk the third egg in a small bowl, then beat into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, until just smooth and tight. (You may not need all of the third egg.)
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart; you should have about 50 puffs. (Alternatively, drop the dough in small mounds onto the baking sheets with a spoon.) Smooth the dough peaks with a dampened finger, then transfer to the oven and bake until puffed, 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until golden, 5 more minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the puffs inside to dry out, 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove from the oven and pierce a small hole in each puff with a paring knife to let steam escape; transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth and cool, about 7 minutes; whisk in the peppermint extract. Stir in the mascarpone until combined. Cover and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip.
• Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the hole in each puff and pipe in the filling. Transfer the filled puffs to a baking sheet; refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Assemble the croquembouche: Dip the bottom of a puff into the icing, letting the excess drip off. Transfer the puff to a platter, icing-side down. Repeat with more puffs, arranging them side-by-side in a 7-inch circle. Fill in the circle with more puffs to stabilize the base of the tower. Continue building a conical tower of puffs, using the icing to hold them in place. (If the icing becomes too thick, whisk in more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
• Dust the croquembouche with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle with crushed candy canes; chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• For the puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring 2 cups water, the butter, sugar and salt to a rolling boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add the flour all at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, to cook off some of the moisture, 30 seconds.
• Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Using a hand mixer set on low to medium speed, add 8 of the eggs, one at a time, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the dough in big dollops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Whisk the remaining 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash to push down any points. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F, and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. The puffs should have a crust, but also still be soft. Avoid opening the oven door while the puffs bake. Cool the puffs on the baking sheet.
• For the fillings: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, cook the milk until it just begins to bubble along the edges. In a bowl, whisk the sugar and yolks until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk until incorporated, being careful to avoid scrambling the eggs. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan for a later use.
• Pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer back into the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a slow boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Remove one-third of the pastry cream to a bowl. Then add the chocolate into the larger batch of pastry cream and stir until the chocolate is completely incorporated. Divide the chocolate cream into two bowls, adding the mint to one batch and the orange to the other. Add the melted caramel and cinnamon to the plain pastry cream, stirring to combine. Cover all three creams with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
• Use a plain pastry tip to poke a hole in the bottom of each puff. Place each of the pastry creams into a piping bag fitted with a small tip. Separate the puffs into three equal piles and fill each pile with one of the pastry creams.
• For the caramel: Place the sugar, corn syrup and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches a deep amber color, the thermometer will read about 350 degrees F. Remove from the heat. Then quickly but carefully, dip the bottom and sides of the puffs in the caramel to start building the tower. Create a large circle of puffs as the base, then a second, slightly smaller circle on top of the first to draw the circle in and create a tower of cream puffs. Repeat for the remaining puffs. Check it from all sides occasionally to make sure it's straight. When the tower is finished, drizzle the remaining caramel all over and then decorate as desired.

Steps:

• Combine milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape vanilla seeds into the mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until pale and light, about 3 minutes, and whisk in cornstarch until combined.
• Slowly add the hot simmered milk to the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Pour tempered mixture back into the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and holds whisk marks, about 2 minutes. Strain custard through a fine-mesh strainer, discard vanilla bean pods, and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 5 or 6 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine milk, water, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and salt in a large saucepot over medium heat; bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir slowly at first to combine, then vigorously until mixture forms a uniform paste.
• Transfer paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 12 eggs, 1 at a time, blending on low speed until each egg is completely incorporated. Mixture may appear broken, but keep stirring until it is glossy, smooth, and stretchy.
• Transfer dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch puffs about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets to get about 20 per sheet. Use a wet finger to smooth the tops. Beat the final egg with a splash of water in a small bowl; brush the tops of the puffs with egg wash.
• Place 2 to 3 baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake puffs for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door, or the puffs will deflate. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until deeply golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove puffs from oven and place sheet on a wire rack to cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) to continue baking remaining puffs.
• Make caramel while puffs cool. Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl pan occasionally to help dissolve the sugar, but do not stir, until syrup turns deep amber, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
• While the caramel is cooking, fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill with pastry cream. Poke a hole in the bottom of each puff and gently pipe in pastry cream to fill. Do not do this far in advance as puffs will begin to turn soggy once filled.
• As soon as caramel has turned a deep amber color, place the bottom of the pot into the ice water to stop the cooking and firm the caramel, about 30 seconds. Carefully pour the still-hot caramel into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
• Trace a circle onto a piece of parchment using an 8-inch round cake pan. Cut out the circle, leaving a 1-inch border, and place on a serving platter.
• Dip 1 side of a puff into the caramel and stick it onto the parchment. Dip another puff on 2 sides, then stick 1 side to the parchment and the other to its neighboring puff. Repeat gluing puffs over the parchment circle to form a sturdy base, then continue building a conical tower of increasingly smaller circles. Top the tower with a single puff. If caramel begins to harden, microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen.
• Let any unused caramel cool in the pan until it forms a thread when lifted with a fork. Dip the tip of a fork into the caramel and quickly wave it in circles around the tower to create a web of caramel strands. Repeat as desired. Crack the caramel web and dismantle the tower to serve.