Réussir le fondant pâtissier blanc, pas à pas – Mastering white pâtissier fondant, step by step
One of the first things you see through a boulangerie-pâtisserie window in France is a herd of glazed éclairs and choux. Pretty in pink, brown, white, and more often than not, green too.
Fondant can be bought in professional shops, most likely in one or seven kilo buckets. But did you know you can make it at home with just two ingredients?
It takes around ten minutes to make a kilo of fondant. So get ready to glaze éclairs like there is no tomorrow, because you’re about to learn how to make fondant pâtissier.
Here I’ve only made 250g because that’s all I needed for a recipe I’m developping for le petit cookbook, but the recipe can easily be doubled as fondant will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a year.
To make 250g of fondant, you’ll need:
250g caster sugar
100g water
As for the equipement, nothing super-fancy: one large pan, a brush, a probe, a stand-mixer (or failing that, hand-beaters). A plastic scraper is handy too!
1. Place the sugar and water in a large pan. Cook the syrup to 114°C over medium heat. The ideal temperature to make fondant is in between 114 and 116°C, so remove from the heat at 114 an the temperature will naturally reach 115-ish. Perfect!
2. While cooking the syrup, brush the sides of your pan with a wet brush to remove any bits of sugar which might caramelise or even worse, crystallise. 
3. Fill the sink with 3cm of cold water and dip the bottom of your pan in it to cool the syrup to 75°C.
4. Pour the cooled-down syrup in the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachement. 
5. Beat for approximately five minutes, or until thick and white.
6. Transfer to a clean work surface. Work the fondant, first with a scraper and then with the palm of your hand until cold. Don’t hesitate to really push it to remove any lumps. Form a smooth ball.
7. Place in an airtight container. Clingfilm to the touch and close with a lid. Keep in the fridge. Use within a year. Ooh yes!
Now I just have to show you how to glaze éclairs and choux. And perhaps even a millefeuilles! Next time…
thelittleloaf
May 29, 2012
I love baking but have never bothered to make my own fondant – I didn’t know it was so easy! Love this post with it’s little live action videos – brilliant :-)
Thank you. PS. I can’t believe I had never come accross your blog before. It’s a gem. xx
la tavola toscana
May 29, 2012
Evviva Fanny!
Thank you so much for the recipe: my little daughter’s birthday is just approaching… :-)
Camilla
May 29, 2012
Hello :) Love all the little videoes! Thank you for the recipe, well explained, which I am excited to try. Look forward to the following eclairs.
Camilla :)
Glad you like the little animations. I looove to make them!
marghe@lechatdesucre.com
May 29, 2012
I always wanted to learn!!! Thanks, Fanny!!!!
Andy
May 29, 2012
Tes photos sont toujours si belles! And I am craving millefeuilles now…
Merci. Pas facile de shooter en mode raffale avec le seul objectif que j’ai pris avec moi en France: un 100mm! x
Virginie
May 30, 2012
Hi!
Is that the same kind of icing we find in the supermarket? It is like a paste that it is used to cover cakes?
Virginie, this is fondant to glaze éclairs and millefeuilles. I’ve never used, let alone made “American fondant” before. It might be the same thing although I’ve seen recipes using marshmallows as a base. Possibly to make it more pliable.
The fondant pâtissier here is heated to 32°C along with a little syrup and then éclairs/millefeuilles/choux are glazed.
Emma-zucchero e zenzero
May 30, 2012
I really, really love this recipe! I’ll try it soon!
Thank you! :)
Andy
Jun 01, 2012
Virginia: there are two different things that are commonly called fondant. Fanny’s recipe here is what ( at least in America) we call ” poured fondant” which you use as a liquid icing and there is “rolled fondant” (a different recipe that I’m not familiar with) which is like a dough and is applied dry to cakes and usually is wrapped around the entire cake and sometimes used to design shapes and figures on fancier cakes. I’ve never tried it though. If you search for those two terms on google you are sure to find more info.
rob
Jun 02, 2012
Hi Fanny
love your work! would adding some glucose make a smoother fondant?
thx
rob
Claudia
Jun 05, 2012
Hello, this is great, i had been looking for this recipe for a while! (cannot find fondant at the supermarket…)
Just two questions:
1- how do you use it? i mean, to make it liquid in order to pour it on to eclairs, do you have to heat it? with water?
2- can i add a couple of pieces of chocolate, to make it brown and “chocolaty”?
thanks/merci/grazie
C
Sara Green
Aug 01, 2012
What a cool way to prep this post and explain how to work with fondant! I appreciate all the work behind those animated gifs and the beautiful illustrations that I assume do to. Vous avez réussi à faire des merveilles d’une leçon!
nathan yarrow
Jan 20, 2013
when beating the cooled syrup in the electric stand mixer, i put the speed on full and once it was thick and white, it was quite hot, and worked it, but it was quite grainy. does it mean the fondant has crystalised or should i beat the syrup on a lower setting??…. i have a chou pastry exam coming up and needed a good fondant recipe to glaze my eclairs with.. thanks!
Anita Menon
Feb 22, 2013
Beautifully designed website. Love the watercolor illustrations and the video ideas.