Mouprise.com

History of the petit fours

Petit four, which simply means “small oven,” is the exact name of those miniature cakes you place on trays at parties and on the table at fancy dinners. They are presented in the form of mini pastries made from cream and fruits. The ability for chefs and caterers to create new and special types of petit fours is unlimited. They can work as appetizers and as a complete meal, depending on the circumstances.

If you’re not sure why appetizers are called little ovens, this is the answer for you. In 19th century France there were no gas ovens. The bakery oven was the only type of oven during that time. It was a huge hut made of stone, under which a fire was lit. These types of ovens took a long time to start up, got very hot for a while, and then took a long time to shut down. Also, it didn’t actually have a knob that could be turned to modify the heat. In fact, it only had two settings.

The first stage was the grand four, great furnace, where the fire was at its strongest. This setting was used when roasts, wild boars, pigs, ribs of veal, vegetable platters and potatoes were being cooked.

The second scenario was the petit four, when the fire began to die down and the heat to weaken. This setting was used when individual cakes and bite-size appetizers could be baked to serve with tea. This is how novelty foods became petit fours after the way they were prepared.

Petite fours recipe (from landolakes)

Ingredients:

Cake

1 package white cake mix (18 1/2 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

Ice formation

3 cups of sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups of water

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

3 drops of food coloring

Decorate

Candy flowers, if you like

Icing flowers, if desired

Addresses:

Heat oven to 350 ° F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) square baking dishes. Set aside.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to water. Evenly divide cake batter among prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Chill 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Cut edges of cake; Cut each cake into 24 pieces (1 1/2 x 1 inch).

Combine sugar, cream of tartar, and water in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (12 to 14 minutes). Cover; boil 3 minutes. Discover; Continue cooking until the candy thermometer reaches (228 ° F to 234 ° F) or a small amount of batter dipped into ice water forms a smooth 2-inch string (15 to 20 minutes). Keep away from heat; cool to 110 ° F. or until bottom of skillet is slightly warm to the touch (do not stir) (1 hour). Add the powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of the almond extract, and the food coloring.

Place wire rack on baking sheet. Place cake pieces cut side up on wire rack. Gently spread the frosting over the edges of the cake pieces with a spatula or small spoon. Spoon about 1 tablespoon on top of each cake and drizzle down the sides. Repeat, covering each piece twice, if necessary. (If the frosting becomes too thick, reheat over low heat until it is a fine consistency and easy to drizzle (2 to 3 minutes).) Scrape frosting from baking sheet; reuse, if necessary. Garnish each petit four with caramel blossoms or frosting blossoms, if desired.