PETIT FOURS

Petit fours generally refer to any small cakes, cookies or pastry products that can be eaten with one or two bite. Can be either sweets or savory Size 1 inches square 1.5 to 2 inches high and Commonly decorate with candy roses and sugar decorations. 

History of Petit Fours 

In French, Petit Fours means "small oven". Therefore, traditionally it was made in the 18th century during the cool down process of brick ovens. Coal heat was hard to control as it burn much hotter than woods. So they don’t want to waste it, they bake this items called petit fours. Small, easy and require less time to cook.They were first presented at the Court Louis XIV. They had to be served immediately after taken out from the oven.

Type of Petit Fours

There are 6 types of Petit Fours. Which are: 

1. Petit Four Sec

•Instead of moist and dry, petit four sec generally must be crispy with no icing and no filling.
•But then, some of it may be dipped in chocolate.
•This petit four commonly served with after dinner coffee. Accompanied with
- ice cream
- Bavarian
- mousse

Assorted petit four sec

2. Petit Fours Amendes  For this type of petit four, the hero ingredient is almonds. For example, Macaroon or almond cookies.  Macaroon

3. Petit fours fraisé

This type of petit four is tiny replica of larger cake
Tiny cakes are called Carolines
Small fruits are called Barquettes
Small tartlets are called Mignonettes and
Small rum babas are called Pomponnettes

Barquettes 

Pomponettes 

4. Petit Four glaces 

Tiny cakes covered with fondant. A sponge cake that layered with chocolate ganache or buttercream

5. Petit four deguise

Made up from fresh fruits such
- grapes
- cherries
- orange 

They are dipped in sugar solutions or alcohol called“griottines”

6. Petit four sales

Savory type of petit four. Prepared using short crust, puff pastry and choux pastry .
Example: “bouchees” (a small filled pastry shell similar to vol-au-vent but small bite size) and also cheese straw. 

Vol au vents

Cheese straw