Choux creams? Cream puffs?

Whatever.

Whenever I'm in Japan, I got for the choux creams or the mont blancs. The choux creams, being the ever so slightly less calorific (and cheaper) option can be found in most departo basement food halls. And then I'd be asking for "shoe cream" at a confectionery shop for my tea-time pick-me-up. The ones with the vanilla pod seeds in the filling? Delicious. The Japanese bakery at a local mall does wonderful choux creams. (And the mont blancs. And meringue cookies. I should shut up before I drool over the keyboard.)

But I'd only have them once a month or once in two months because too much of a good thing is usually bad for you. Diabetes runs like a rampaging river through my family. So the next best thing is making miniature cakes, pies and choux creams.

Materials:
- Paintbrushes
- Miniature mold (choux cream and pie crust/base)
- Clay
- Acrylic paints
- Yellow / golden ochre ink
- Water-based glaze
- Silicon in a piping bag or silicon whip in a tube- Appropriate tips for the tube/piping bag.

1) Colour clay to the desired shade. Knead until even.

2) Press clay into mould until mould is filled. If clay is the sticky sort, grease mould with vaseline or a drop of baby oil.

3) Using another lump of clay, press down on the back of the clay in the mould and lift it upwards sharply. You may need to try a few times if the item is large. Some trial and error required.

4) Leave moulded items to air dry for at least 24 hours. Shrinkage may occur.

5) Sometimes, the pastry items need to be painted or glazed, like the choux creams and pie crusts, before filling.


6) The baked effect can be achieved by dry brushing acrylic paint very sparingly over the choux cream/pie crust. (No water added to brush or paint.) A dusting of coloured power will do the trick as well. I like to use the pigment sticks from my art tools box.

7) Finish by painting the items with a water-based glaze coloured with a drop of yellow ochre ink if needed. Alternatively, finish with the glaze after affixing the items to whatever it is you are decorating.

8) Using silicon in a piping bag or one of the handy silicon whips in tubes, fill the base of the choux cream/pie crust. I like to use the smaller star tips.

9) Arrange fruit in the pie crust and top the choux creams with the other half.

10) For an icing sugar effect, dry brushing with white acrylic paint and a very small nail brush works best for me.