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The recipe calls for greasing the molds well, and skipping that step is the usual reason the spirals tear when you unmold them. Grease every mold before wrapping the strips, and let the baked horns cool a little before sliding them off - hot pastry is fragile and warm sugar clings. Twisting the mold gently instead of pulling straight out also helps release it cleanly.

The spiral shape depends on wrapping the strips around a form, so you need something cone- or tube-shaped that tolerates 200 °C / 390 °F. Tightly rolled and greased aluminium foil cones are the common workaround. Whatever you use, grease it well and overlap the strips slightly as the recipe describes, so the spiral holds together during baking.

Pearl sugar is there for crunch and sparkle, not structure, so the horns work fine without it. Coarse or chunky sugar crystals are the closest substitute; sliced almonds also stick nicely to the egg yolk - milk brush. You can also leave the tops plain, since the recipe finishes with a generous dusting of powdered sugar anyway.

Bake the shells ahead and fill them just before serving - whipped cream softens the pastry, so filled horns lose their crispness quickly. Store the cooled, unfilled shells in an airtight container at room temperature, and whip the cream with the powdered sugar shortly before you pipe it in. That way the outside stays crisp and the filling stays firm.

Filled horns contain whipped cream, so they belong in the refrigerator and are best eaten the same day. The pastry will soften as it sits against the cream, which is why filling right before serving is worth the extra step. Dust with powdered sugar again just before serving, since the first dusting tends to dissolve in the fridge.