Mocha Croquembouche

French 40 Mins Prep · 60 Mins Cook

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. To make the choux puffs, sift the flour into a bowl. Heat the butter and water until just melted then bring to a rolling boil. Immediately remove from the heat and add all the flour at once. Mix until a smooth dough forms, place back on the heat and cook for approx. 1 minute or until the pastry pulls away from the sides of the pot. Allow to cool until lukewarm.
3. Lightly whisk the eggs then beat into the pastry a little at a time until smooth, shiny and of piping consistency.
4. Place the pastry in a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe small blobs of pastry approx. 4cm in diameter onto the baking tray.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed up and golden. Turn off the oven and remove the choux puffs. Using a small paring knife, poke and twist small holes in the bottom of each puff and immediately return to the oven to dry out for 15 minutes.
6. To make the mocha custard, roughly chop 150g of chocolate. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large pot set over low heat. Add 450ml of cream and sea salt. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, approx. 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coffee, chocolate, vanilla extract and mascarpone. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. 
7. To assemble, place the custard in a piping bag fitted with a medium straight nozzle. Fill the choux puffs with the mocha custard.
8. Chop 100g of chocolate. Heat 300g of cream in a small pot until barely simmering. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth and keep warm.
9. Dip the tops of each puff in the chocolate sauce before stacking them on a serving plate.

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