Cream puffs and the circle they're sitting on are all pate a choux pastry. They are topped with the little hard caramel hats and glued to the circle with hard caramel. The circle's then filled with vanilla and chocolate diplomat creams. The little nest on top is spun caramel.
That spun caramel, I tell you, I looked foward to it all term, I was so happy making it. Our Chef started the class with hot sugar horror stories and ended the lecture with how to put out sugar fires. We were freaked out.
You may not know but sugar in this form is kind of like fiberglass. It's SHARP. I got some under my skin, it really hurt for a few days. Lesson learned, though.