Marie Antoinette's: Croquembouche

I just got a fabulous new perfume, and the scent is Croquembuche. I just love it and suggest you try it! A little about the tasty treat....

Croquembouche typically looks like this (right). It is composed of light cream (mousse or custard

and can be in a variety of flavors) filled pastry puffs, and they are typically towered on one another. The finished tower is then sealed with hot crack caramel (like...345 degrees super hot) and when this cools the tower can be decorated or eaten by cracking off the puffs. Delicious!
And how did this fun and fancy dessert come to be??

"It has its origins as a fanciful, edible architectural structure displayed on the medieval tables of French royalty and

nobility. Antonin Careme (1783-1833), the most famous French chef of his generation, popularized the Croquembouche. He created Turkish mosques, Persian pavilions and Gothic towers. The entire genre spiraled up and out of control towards the end of the 19th century, but then subsided to manageable dimensions. During the 20th century the Croquembouche has survived as a conical construction of choux balls piled on top of one another, each on a nougat base with a decoration at the top. Demeter’s Croquembouche captures the light and sugary scent of the nougat and choux balls perfectly, in a scent far more delicate than you might otherwise expect."

*About the top image, Louis and Marie are celebrating the birth of the dauphin. The room is decorated with fabrics, and on the table are elaborate confections and decor......Marie and Louis are sitting at the head of the table with their backs to us

4 comments:

Heather Carroll4:22 PM
Now I am hungry.

Croquembouche is one of those words you've heard but never actually knew what it was.
Anonymous4:49 AM
Ditto that!
So this is what Celine Dion had as her wedding cake...I hear her's was 6ft. tall!!!
Crazy.
Btw, I'm new to your blogs and I just have to tell you that I captl L- Love IT!!!
Keep on the amazing work!!! :D
Lauren1:39 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lauren1:53 PM
6ft tall! it sounds pretty fabulous! Heather and I have been addicted to these 'fabulous wedding cake' shows on tv lately so I can picture that thing being made!
I am so glad to hear you like our blogs! Swing by whenever! :o)