Welcome and thanks for dropping by. I’m glad I was able to demystify that observation you made concerning the ridges on the choux shells.

Although I am aware that dairy products from Hokkaido are reknowned for their creaminess and taste, I have never had the chance to use their products in pastry making.

I am not clear by your use of the term “curdled” relative to double cream since this term usually means that the double cream has separated during the whipping process and is unusable in whipped cream applications.

To make whipped cream more shelf stable with a more substantial mouthfeel, it is common to use a whipping cream stabilizer like Dr. Oetker’s Whip It product (http://www.oetker.ca/en/product/baking-ingredients/pouch/11140) or even gelatin to ensure stability in your whipped cream applications. In Singapore, The BIY Store in Bukit Timah sells whipping cream stablizers (http://www.b-i-y.com/Dairy%20&%20Chilled%20Products.htm).

Hope this helps.

I came across this special whipped cream again once more in a cream puff sold by a cream puff specialty shop. The filling was called “Hokkaido Fresh Cream” but fresh cream in Japanese just means real cream made purely from milk.

Do you know how I can make whipped cream like that? I tried whipping double cream and got a similar texture when all the butter curdled out but the colour was too yellow and it started to melt after I left it out in the open for about 20 mins.

Glad you have found success in making your éclairs to look just like the ones from Fauchon! Congrats!

Thank you so much!

Fondant should not take too long to set (within minutes) and it has to be cooled in order to set. It’s best to set the fondant in a fridge after you’ve topped your éclairs. You can use simple syrup to thin out your fondant but if you add too much liquid, it will become too loose. You should heat the fondant together with a bit of simple syrup to a temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius and if it’s too thick to work with at this temperature, you would add a bit more simple syrup to loosen it. Proper fondant consistency to work with should be like a slow thick flowing mass (like lava). If you heat your fondant too high, it will become too runny and won’t coat your pastry properly. Finding the right consistency can only come from experience and a bit of practice. Once you’ve worked with fondant long enough, getting that right consistency will be instinctive.

I find the prettiest éclairs come from the dipping technique. You hold the éclair shell upside down and dip it into the fondant. After you`ve dipped the choux shell, you pull the shell up and hold it vertically above the fondant bowl. You take a finger and lightly push some fondant down the pastry shell back into the bowl to get rid of the excess fondant. You then you take your index finger and clean the fondant at the end of the éclair shell by lightly scraping the fondant to curve it in the same fashion as the other end of the éclair. Place your éclair on a tray and put into the fridge to properly set. If you get the proper fondant temperature and consistency correct, the éclair topping should be clean along the sides with no excess drip marks (like the ones in the pictures above).

Hope this helps!

Good luck.

I’ve managed to get hold of some fondant and will try making eclairs again this weekend. Never mind the cracks I’ve only worked with fondant once before and it was a messy experience. I’ve got a japanese recipe book that says I should thin the fondant with some syrup but I think I overdid it and the fondant didn’t dry out. How long should fondant take to set, and should it be made to set out in the open, or in the refrigerator? Is it better to spoon fondant onto the eclairs, or to dip the eclairs into molten fondant? And at what temperature and consistency should my fondant be when I’m coating my eclairs?

Thanks a bundle!

What you are facing in baking choux dough in your microwave/convection combo oven is very typical. The oven cavity is very small and the convection fan is blowing so strong within the small compartment that it warps the rise of the eclairs during the baking process. I find that in home ovens, the conventional built-in ovens with its larger cavity and gentle heat will give the choux dough a nice even rise. You still have to deal with hot spots within your oven but this can be remedied by turning your baking trays part way through the baking period. I would suggest you try this recipe at a friend’s who has a built-in conventional oven and compare your results. You’ll should expect to see a difference. If you ever try this experiment, I would love to hear your results.

Good luck with your next éclair experiment!