- [Jansen] Are you nervous?
- I'm like a fun nervous.
I'm like first date kinda nervous.
- I'm always worried about the weight
and the nougatine just shattering.
- No, I think it's gonna work.
It's gonna work.
An architect doing pastry.
♪ Dun dun dun ♪
We're at the International Culinary Center
where I used to go to school.
Today, we're gonna make a modern croquembouche,
and I have not done a showpiece in probably over a decade.
So, what better way to get back into it
than with a former architect, Jansen Chan,
now pastry chef?
I wanna see architecture meld with pastry.
So, what about architecture is so crucial in pastry?
- The architecture really comes in handy
with the process and keeping true to a design concept
'cause there's gonna be downfalls
and things that you didn't consider
or things that didn't work out
and you're gonna alter your design or your concept,
and architects are good at keeping the true vision alive,
and I think pastry chefs can do the exact same.
I think pastry chefs are great at pushing the boundaries
of what we normally do.
We try new flavors and textures
and also build some nice crazy ass showpieces.
So, we are gonna try our attempt
at modernizing the croquembouche today.
Classic croquembouche is a beautiful pyramid of cream puffs
that are held together just simply by caramel.
This kind of showpiece has been used in French culture
for centuries at wedding celebrations and christenings.
So, let's do a rough sketch of what I have envisioned today,
and then we're gonna try
and see if we can build it together.
- (chuckles) Perfect.
- What I'm proposing is we do a center of puffs,
but it's gonna be vertical.
So, more like a tower.
We're gonna also do a drum on the bottom.
We're also gonna need a little bit of nougatine here.
- How many times have you done this?
- I have not done it.
Croquembouche is a tough one.
You gotta build it the day of
because unless you're in a very dry climate,
- Yeah, it'll just... - Humidity will...
Humidity from the outside
and also the humidity from the filling.
We will have to eat this after or something.
- Oh, fantastic.
Let's do this! - Yes.
Chemistry is super important.
You can't really change too much ratios
when it comes to doughs, especially.
- Wow, I've never done pâte à choux in a mold.
- I wanna control the size as much as possible.
So, we're gonna go in the oven until it's done.
I got my triangles that will be the support
buttressing the tower itself.
We're gonna use isomalt for this
'cause we're not really eating it.
We're gonna pour the sugar in there
and we'll let it cool in the shape.
It should only take about 15, 20 minutes.
We got a torch just to get rid of the bubbles.
So, we are moving on to pastillage.
It really is just gelatin and powdered sugar.
They're really good for rigid elements.
It's very light, dries so hard.
So, we're gonna make some nice circles like donuts.
We have to roll nougatine next.
So, nice, toasted sliced almonds and caramel.
- [Rebecca] Look at that color.
- It's such a simple recipe, but it's so tasty.
- So satisfying.
So, this is going to be for the base
and in between the center, yes?
- Correct.
(laughing)
- Jumping may be required.
- [Jansen] So, we're gonna fill a few of those puffs
with a banana pastry cream.
♪ Fillin the cream puffs ♪
Now we need to start placing the caramel in our molds.
We are ready for assembly.
I'm gonna start with the topper,
then we're gonna work on the main tower,
and then we'll work on the base.
- [Rebecca] The caramel's like the glue right now.
- [Jansen] Correct.
- [Rebecca] What would've happened
if you didn't have a blueprint?
- Oh, if I just winged it?
- If you didn't have a plan. - Well, first of all,
I would be worried that I wouldn't have enough materials.
I have a vision of what's needed in order to accommodate
the sugar pieces that are gonna buttress this.
- Have you been able to bring
your expertise of architecture into the classroom?
- We did the whole program three years ago.
We started looking at how we can help our students
become better designers, planners, builders,
so we added a whole design chapter.
They all have to do itineraries of projects
so they understand time management
and how to prioritize projects like we did today, right?
We couldn't have made this part without the puffs,
the custard, the nougatine, everything in play.
We have to make sure everything's level.
What you might need to do is start being creative
and start cutting some puffs.
It is leaning a little.
- Nonetheless, that is a solid structure.
Hello.
Hello, hello, hello.
- I think this one's gonna be a lot easier to do.
You are just basically building a wall.
Oh!
- Well done.
(tapping)
- It's nice to fill it.
(classical music)
It's good. - It's good!
- Alright.
- Okay.
(groaning) So far, so good.
- So, I'm gonna torch it.
Make sure it sticks a little.
Did I scare you? - Give a girl a warning.
- Sorry.
So, originally, this was going to be at this point.
We'll see.
This is the part where we start improvising
and start making it work, right?
- Which is the best part.
- What if I did that and that?
- Yes.
- Design process is to create something appealing,
something that you wanna eat.
- This is looking really good.
- Oh, it looks a little small now.
(laughing)
- We can add another...
- I mean, I can add another layer of nougatine.
- We can just keep adding stuff.
- We're good, I think that's enough.
(groaning)
Hot, hot.
(classical music)
- [Rebecca] Look at that.
- Good job.
- This is what pastry has over savory is that wow factor.
All those details that seems like nothing
when they're all broken up: cream puffs,
the pastry cream that looks like glob or whatever,
and you've got the caramel,
and then you put it all together
and you get this structure that's just exquisite.
Here's our blueprint.
- I know. - Does it match?
- I think the tower was a little bit narrower
than I wanted envisioned, but otherwise I'm happy with it.
It's invoking that conical shape of the croquembouche.
Thank you. - Well done.
Well done. - Thank you.
Thank you, and thank you for your help.
- Now I just wanna smash it.
- Yeah.
You kinda have to eat it the same day you make it.
- Oh, alright.
One.
- [Both] Two, three.
(crashing)
- Yeah, that was a good one.
- You wanna do that little piece right there?
- Oh.
(laughing)
- Sorry.
- I feel really sad, actually.
- I'm fine.
We (mumbles) the nougatine.
- Oh.
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These gleaming bonbons of different colors
and then you pop them in your mouth
and you're just like,
- Yeah. - What am I eating right now?