Edibles Recipe: Canna-Croquembouche

Photo Bruce Wolf | Croquembouche prepared by pastry chef Melanie Kearney, Portland, OR.

This French dessert often served at weddings could be the perfect way to ditch the alcohol at your special affair. Each individual pastry puff contains approximately 6 to 7 milligrams of THC — meaning your guests will be able to feel the euphoric effects of your love alongside a slight buzz from this cannabis creation.

If you decide to serve this at your wedding in one of the legalized recreational cannabis states — use caution. Clearly label the cake as medicated and have a waitress or waiter pass out the servings. To ensure everyone has fun but doesn’t overdo it, you can also give guests tickets representing one serving each.

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 sticks butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
8-10 large eggs
4 cups half and half
12 egg yolks
1½ cups sugar
½ cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons cannabutter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2½ cups sugar
¾ cups water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. In a large saucepan bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a full boil. Remove from heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously for 60 seconds, until the flour is incorporated. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 30 seconds to be sure to remove all moisture.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, add 6 eggs – one at a time – with the machine running. Scrape down the bowl after adding each egg. Mix until the dough is shiny and smooth. The dough will be thick, but not too thick to be dropped onto a baking pan. If the dough is too thick, add another egg.

3. Using a pastry bag, place the dough on parchment-lined baking sheets. The balls should be about 1½ inches in diameter.

4. In a small bowl mix a tablespoon of water with the remaining eggs. Brush the tops of the balls of dough with the mixture. Sometimes the balls of dough are pointy, and the brushing usually flattens them out. Don’t use too much of the egg wash.

5. Bake the dough for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375° F and continue baking for 25 minutes. The cream puffs should rise and appear golden brown. Allow to cool thoroughly.

6. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and butter and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and light. Whisk in the cornstarch thoroughly. Whisk in ½ cup of the hot milk mixture until well mixed. Whisk in the remaining milk. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the same saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick and simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and optional almond extract. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cover the top with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. Place the custard in a pastry bag.

7. Poke a hole in the cream puffs (I use a chopstick) and fill each one with the custard.

8. In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar and water. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until sugar is golden. Remove from heat and place bottom of the pan in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

9. Draw a 7-inch circle on parchment paper. Dip puffs into the sugar syrup and place around the circle. Fill the center with more puffs. Continue dipping and building, making the circles smaller each time. Top with a single puff.

10. Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface. Dip a fork into the caramel (if it has hardened, then place in the microwave for 30 seconds), and wave it around the croquembouche making caramel threads, until the caramel is gone. While the caramel is still wet, decorate with cannabis flowers, edible flowers or anything else that strikes your fancy.

11. Transfer the croquembouche to a platter. Cannabis magnificence!

Originally published in Issue 20 of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE

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