Twenty-five years ago, or so, I found the magic. I was paging through a cookbook, the seminal “La Methode,” Jacques Pepin’s sequel to his even more seminal “La Technique.” As I was grazing through the ...

French pastry school diary, day 74! AllisonChen tackles the challenge of nougatine, a caramel and almond component for the Croquembouche. It's hot, sets quickly, and requires some serious skill!

Last week, we began reporting on an epic project, the creation of Martha Stewart’s croquembouche. Kids, you might want to read our series before you try this at home. Here’s Part One. This week, we ...

Croquembouche, the French pastry popularized in the early 19th century, is suddenly back on the banquet table. Seeking to evoke “a meeting of wise characters coming from a fantasy world,” the ...

French for "crunch in the mouth," croquembouche is a tower of cream puffs held together by hot caramel. Martha makes the dessert even more showstopping by turning the pastries pink.