Ingredients

• 350g/12oz flaked almonds
• 500g/1lb 2oz white fondant icing
• 320ml/11fl oz liquid glucose
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
• cut into cubes
• 300ml/10fl oz water
• 240ml/8½fl oz full-fat milk
• 225g/8oz unsalted butter
• cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 330g/11½oz plain flour
• sifted
• 8 free-range eggs
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 vanilla pod
• seeds only
• 900ml/1 pint 12fl oz full-fat milk
• 225g/8oz sugar
• 12 free-range eggs
• yolks only
• 60g/2¼oz cornflour
• 115g/4oz blanched almonds
• 115g/4oz hazelnuts
• 225g/8oz granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 500g/1lb 2oz granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds
• 125ml/4fl oz water
• orange and white sugar crystals

Directions

• For the nougatine base
• line a baking tray with a silicone mat. Lightly grease a 25cm/10in flan tin.
• Sprinkle the flaked almonds onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
• Heat the fondant icing and glucose in a large saucepan over a medium heat and boil for 10-15 minutes
• or until a pale caramel colour. Stir in the toasted almonds and butter and pour onto the lined baking tray. Place another silicone mat on top
• then roll out the nougatine to a thickness of 5mm/¼in then remove the top mat and carefully lift the nougatine into the greased flan tin
• pressing it into the sides. Trim off the excess with scissors then set aside to cool.
• For the choux buns
• increase the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease several large baking trays.
• Put the water
• milk
• butter
• condensed milk and salt into a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Tip in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• Continue cooking
• stirring constantly over a moderate heat for about 3-4 minutes or until there is a thin film of dried dough on the sides and bottom of the pan.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on a medium speed until steam is no longer rising from the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs
• one at a time; continue beating until the dough is smooth and glossy.
• Spoon the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe 5cm/2in balls onto the baking trays
• leaving room for them to spread a little as they cook.
• Make the egg wash by beating the egg yolk with the water. Brush the balls with the egg wash and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
• then reduce the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for 15 minutes more or until the buns are well risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• To make the pastry cream
• place the vanilla seeds and milk in a large saucepan
• bring to the boil then remove the pan from the heat.
• Place the sugar and egg yolks in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on a high speed for about three minutes
• or until a thick ribbon drips off the whisk
• then reduce the speed to medium and beat in the cornflour.
• Whisk in the hot milk
• then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat gently until boiling
• stirring all the time
• then let it bubble for one minute or until thickened and pour into a clean bowl. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and set the bowl aside to cool.
• For the praline paste
• toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a dry pan over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes
• taking care not to burn them
• then place the toasted nuts on a baking tray lined with a sheet of lightly greased greaseproof paper.
• Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over a high heat
• swirling from time to time
• until the mixture is a pale caramel colour. Pour the caramel over the nuts and set aside to cool completely.
• Break the praline into pieces and blend to a paste in a food processor. Mix the praline paste into the pastry cream and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each choux bun and pipe in a little of the praline mixture.
• To construct the croquembouche
• remove the hardened nougatine from the tin and turn upside down to form the base for the croquembouche.
• Make the caramel by dissolving the sugar in a pan with the cardamom and water and heating to a pale caramel. Dip the filled choux buns into the caramel and stack the choux buns on the nougatine base in a pyramid shape.
• If the caramel becomes too stiff to work
• return it to the heat until it loosens. Dip some of the buns in the sugar crystals to decorate as you go.
• For the spun sugar decoration
• cut the ends off the bottom of a wire whisk with pliers to make a brush.
• Return the remaining caramel to the heat then dip the brush in the caramel and shake vigorously back and forth over a silicone mat. The caramel will fall in thin strands and set. Gather the strands up and arrange on top of the croquembouche.