Step 1

Combine coffee and water. Allow to cool completely. Or use 8 tablespoons chilled prepared espresso.

Step 2

In a medium bowl whip cream until stiff peaks form. Combine cooled coffee with mascarpone, sugar, and salt. Fold coffee mixture into cream until uniform in color. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Combine water, butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until butter is melted. Add in flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly, until batter pulls away from the pan.

Step 4

Pour batter into a metal mixing bowl. Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating with an electric mixer between each addition. Dough should become glossy after adding eggs. If it does not add one more egg.

Step 5

Pour batter into a piping bag. Pipe into ball shapes onto lined baking sheets using a large round tip. There should be around 30-35 profiteroles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed up, then reduce heat to 350˚F and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turn off heat and allow them to sit for 10 minutes in cooling oven.

Step 6

Use a clean piping tip to poke a hole in the bottom of each pastry before setting on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7

Fill a piping bag with creme filling. Use pre-made holes to insert filling into each pastry using a medium tip.

Step 8

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then remove lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until caramel in color. Do not stir or allow to overheat. Dip pan into a large bowl of ice water to cool it for 1 minute or so.

Step 9

Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Dunk each pastry in glaze, then assemble on a plate in a stacked pyramid or cone shape, with 7-10 profiteroles on the first layer and decreasing in number until only one ball is on top. Allow to set for 20 minutes.

Step 10

Boil remaining spun sugar ingredients on medium for 8-10 minutes until golden in color. Dip pan into ice water bath for 1 minute. Transfer to heat-proof bowl. Test with fork to see if strings appear after dipping into sugar. If they do work quickly using one or two forks to spin sugar around the croquembouche from the base to the top.

Step 11

If using chocolate instead skip making glaze and spun sugar. Melt chocolate in microwave using 30-second intervals. Dip each unglazed profiterole in the chocolate and stack up in aforementioned mound or cone shapes. Allow to set fully in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Step 12

To serve break off 3-4 profiteroles as individual portions. Croquembouche is best eaten the day of and can become soggy if stored long term in the fridge.