Orange-Anise Croquembouche
with White Chocolate
ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 7 HR 45 MIN
SERVES 20
To create individual desserts, serve the
filled cream puffs with a light drizzle of
white chocolate glaze.
ORANGE-ANISE CREAM
2 cups heavy cream
2 whole star anise, lightly crushed
1 / 2 cup powdered sugar (about 2 oz.)
1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt
1 / 8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. orange zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh
orange juice
PÂTE À CHOUX
11 / 2 cups water
3 / 4 cup unsalted butter (6 oz.)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 / 4 tsp. kosher salt
11 / 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6^1 / 2
oz.)
7 large eggs
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
8 oz. white baking chocolate, melted
Edible gold luster dust, for garnish
(optional)
Whole star anise, for garnish
Candied orange peel, for garnish
- Start the orange-anise cream: Stir
together heavy cream and star anise in a
medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 6
hours or up to overnight. - Meanwhile, make the pâte à choux:
Stir together 1^1 / 2 cups water, butter, gran-
ulated sugar, and salt in a medium sauce-
pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high,
stirring occasionally. Add flour all at once,
and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon
until combined. Reduce heat to medium-
low, and cook, stirring constantly, until a
film develops on bottom of pan and dough
pulls away from sides, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer dough to bowl of a heavy-duty
stand mixer fitted with the paddle attach-
ment, and beat on medium-low speed
until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating until mixture
comes back together as a smooth dough
after each addition. Press plastic wrap
directly on surface of dough, and chill at
least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. - Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer one-
third of the dough to a large pastry bag
fitted with a^1 / 2 -inch round tip. Keep
remaining dough in refrigerator. Pipe
about 26 (1^1 / 4 -inch) mounds 1 inch apart
on a large parchment paper–lined baking
sheet. (To help make a perfect circle, pipe
mounds without moving the tip. Pipe as
smoothly and evenly as possible, pulling
tip quickly to 1 side when finished with
each mound to prevent a Hershey’s Kiss
look.) Using a wet finger, gently smooth
any “beaks” on tops of mounds. Using a
spray bottle filled with water, mist
mounds, and place in preheated oven.
Immediately reduce oven temperature to
350°F, and bake until golden brown and
puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove puffs
from oven, and let stand on baking sheet
until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 375°F, and
repeat process 2 times with remaining
dough. (Make sure you use cool baking
sheets each time.) Using a^1 / 3 -inch round
piping tip, poke a^1 / 4 -inch-deep hole into
bottom of each puff.- Finish the orange-anise cream: Pour
chilled cream-anise mixture through a
strainer lined with cheesecloth into a
bowl; discard solids. Transfer strained
cream mixture to bowl of a heavy-duty
stand mixer fitted with the whisk attach-
ment. Beat strained cream mixture on
medium-high speed, gradually adding
powdered sugar, salt, and pepper. Beat
until soft peaks form, about 1 minute and
30 seconds. Add orange zest and juice,
and beat until stiff peaks form, 30 sec-
onds to 1 minute. Transfer orange-anise
cream to a piping bag fitted with a^1 / 3 -inch
round tip. - Insert tip of piping bag into premade
hole of each puff, and fill with orange-
anise cream. Dip top of puff in white choc-
olate. Stack filled cream puffs on a platter
in a conical tower. Sprinkle with luster
dust, if desired, and decorate with whole
star anise and candied orange peel.
Tropical Ambrosia
PHOTO P. 133
ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 13 HR 30 MIN
SERVES 8Pink peppercorns add a fruity, peppery
bite to the meringue. Lightly crush the
peppercorns to release their fragrant oils.COCONUT TAPIOCA
4 cups water
1 / 2 cup uncooked large pearl tapioca
1 cup coconut water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 / 4 cup well-shaken and stirred
unsweetened canned coconut milk
1 / 2 tsp. coconut extract
1 /^2 tsp. kosher saltMERINGUE
2 large egg whites, at room
temperature
1 / 4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 / 8 tsp. kosher salt
1 / 2 cup superfine sugar
2 tsp. pink peppercorns, crushed
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
4 cups mango sorbet
3 / 4 cup finely diced mango
3 / 4 cup finely diced pineapple
1 / 2 cup passion fruit pulp (from 8
passion fruit)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon balm leaves or
mint leaves, for garnish- Make the coconut tapioca: Stir
together 4 cups water and tapioca in a
bowl. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. - Drain soaked tapioca, and transfer to a
medium saucepan. Add coconut water,
and cook over low, stirring often, until
heated through, about 5 minutes. Add
granulated sugar, coconut milk, coconut
extract, and salt, and cook, stirring often,
until mixture has thickened and tapioca
pearls are tender, about 25 minutes.
Transfer to a medium bowl, and cool com-
pletely, about 2 hours. - Make the meringue: While the coconut
tapioca cools, preheat oven to 200°F.
Place egg whites in bowl of a heavy-duty
stand mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment, and beat on medium speed
until frothy, about 1 minute. Add cream
of tartar and salt, and beat until soft
peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer
running, gradually add superfine sugar,
1 tablespoon at a time, beating until
completely incorporated. Increase speed
to high, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks
form, 2 to 3 minutes. - Using an offset spatula, spread
meringue in a^1 / 4 -inch-thick rectangle on a
parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle with crushed pink peppercorns.
Bake in preheated oven until firm and dry
to the touch, 2 to 4 hours. Turn oven off,
and leave meringue inside oven until
completely dry, about 2 hours. Remove
from oven, and let cool completely,
about 30 minutes. Break meringue into
small pieces. - To serve, place^1 / 4 cup sorbet in each of
8 (8-ounce) serving glasses. Top each
with^1 / 4 cup coconut tapioca, 1^1 / 2 table-
spoons diced mango, 1^1 / 2 tablespoons
diced pineapple, and 1 tablespoon pas-
sion fruit pulp. Top each with^1 / 4 cup sor-
bet, and garnish with meringue shards
and lemon balm. Serve immediately.
CONTINUED ON P. 144
138