Instructions: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring butter, 3/4 cup water, salt, and sugar to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in flour with a wooden spoon until well combined. Return to heat and mix vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. Mixture will come together to form a mass, and a film will be present on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round #11 pastry tip, pipe out 3/4-inch rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a small pastry brush, egg wash each round. Smooth the top of each with your finger. Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pierce each puff with a sharp knife, allowing the steam to escape so that the interior of the puffs are not soggy. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the nougat: Heat sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir. Boil until thick and amber brown, with a temperature of between 330 and 350 degrees, as measured with a candy thermometer. Stir in the almonds. While still warm, pour the mixture out onto an oiled marble slab and spread out with an oiled offset spatula, folding the nougat over onto itself several times to cool slightly. While still very warm, roll out the nougat into a very thin layer with a lightly oiled rolling pin.

Lightly oil a 5-inch tart pan and place on a baking sheet. Cut an 8-inch circle from the nougat and transfer to the tart pan. Place nougat and tart pan in a 300-degrees oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until pliable. Remove from oven and carefully push nougat into tart pan. With a sharp knife, cut excess even with the top edge of the tart pan. Cut the remaining nougat into 15 one-inch equilateral triangles with a sharp knife. If the nougat becomes cold and difficult to cut, return to oven for 1 or 2 minutes. Form base and triangular pieces for Croquembouche with prepared Nougat; set aside.

To make the Passion Fruit Mousse: Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine eggs, sugar, and passion-fruit puree; cook, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add butter, and stir well to combine.

In a small saucepan, combine orange juice and 2 tablespoons cold water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let stand, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Heat gelatin over low heat until thoroughly dissolved. Pour the passion-fruit mixture through a fine sieve into a non-reactive bowl. Stir in gelatin mixture. Place bowl over prepared ice bath, whisking constantly until cool.

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the passion-fruit mixture. Then, in two additions, fold the lightened passion-fruit mixture into the remaining whipped cream. (Makes 3 2/3 cups)

Transfer prepared Passion-Fruit Mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch round tip. Fill each puff with mousse; set aside.

To make the caramel: Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 2/3 cup water to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan, without stirring. Leave the cover on the saucepan to allow the steam to dissolve any sugar crystals that may have formed. Uncover pan and continue to boil until sugar syrup reaches between 330 and 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and use immediately. If the caramel begins to harden, briefly return to heat. (Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Use prepared Caramel to attach the nougat triangles at a 25-degree angle to the base, forming a crown. Working quickly, dip puffs, one by one, into the caramel syrup in order to adhere puffs to one another, forming a 6 1/2-inch-tall cone-shaped tower on a sheet pan. When completed, transfer and attach to crown with caramel.

To make Royal Icing: In a small bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, meringue powder, and 4 teaspoons water. Stir until smooth. (Makes 1/2 cup)

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round #3 pastry tip with prepared Royal Icing and outline the triangular sections of the base. Attach a dragee to the tip of each triangle before serving.

Cuisine: "Mexican"

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