• Cut about 48 pieces of parchment measuring 1 1/2 x 1 1/2-inches.

  Pro Tip: Don't use wax paper, it has a coating on it that can't be heated up.

To Make the Pâte à Choux

• In a heavy saucepan bring the milk, salt, and butter to a boil over medium heat.
• Turn the heat to low and add the flour all at once to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes a smooth ball.
• immediately place the hot dough in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for a few seconds to release some heat.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, to the hot dough. Mix on medium speed until the egg is completely blended into the dough before adding the next. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula between each egg.
• Your dough should be soft, but still hold its shape when piped out. This dough will be a little thicker than the Pâte à Choux you bake for the traditional croquembouche.
• With a Pastry Bag fitted with a large round Pastry Tip, pipe mounds about the size of a quarter onto the pieces of parchment paper.

To Fry the Doughnuts

• In a heavy-bottomed medium pot, heat about 3 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 360-380°F on a candy thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil after frying. Once the oil is hot, carefully slide the parchment paper with Pate a choux into the oil. Put up to 5 at a time, making sure they have plenty of room to float.
  
• Allow to fry for about a minute and then use tongs to remove the paper, which should easily slide from the dough. If it sticks, allow to fry for a few more seconds and try again. If the doughnuts are not flipping on their own, use a spoon to flip.
• Use a slotted spoon to lift the fried doughnuts out of the oil. Drain the doughnuts on the paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the Choux pastry.

  Pro Tip: You may need to adjust the heat to make sure it stays at the proper temperature as you are frying each batch.

To Fill with Jelly

• Once the doughnuts have cooled completely, pierce the doughnut with a paring knife. Use a pastry bag with a Bismarck tip or small round piping tip (make sure there are no large pieces of fruit in your jam or they'll get stuck in the piping tip). Fill each doughnut with about 1 teaspoon jelly. This can be done hours before and stored in the refrigerator.

  Pro Tip: Chilling the doughnuts will help the chocolate set when building the “croquembouche” tower.

To Assemble

• Dip the bottom and tops of each doughnut in chocolate, scraping the excess off before, then immediately place them in a circle on the serving plate, and then stack them up to create a cone-shaped doughnut tower.
• Decorate with edible dried rose buds. Dip the base of each rose bud in a bit of chocolate to glue to the doughnut tower.

Caramel for Spun Sugar

• In a small saucepan carefully combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup, so no sugar crystals end up on the sides of the pan. Over high heat, bring to a boil, without stirring. Cook until the sugar starts to turn amber. Once it turns amber on the edge of the pan you can stir. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook until the caramel is a medium caramel color.
  
• Immediately plunge the bottom of the pan into an ice bath to stop it from burning.

  Pro Tip: If your caramel seizes as you are working, melt it for a few minutes over low heat.
• Use a wire cutter to clip the rounded tines of a whisk. Dip the cut whisk into the slightly cooled caramel and lift it out, when the caramel falls into thin threads, it is ready to use. Quickly and steadily wind the caramel around the doughnut tower. Once the caramel stops stretching dip the whisk back in the caramel again. Repeat this process until the doughnut tower is coated in spun sugar.
• The tower can be assembled and kept at room temperature for a few hours.