Petits Fours
These moist almond cakes are glazed with a thin layer of white chocolate and then topped with crisp White Chocolate Cutouts. Feel free to use your imagination when it comes to shaping and decorating—customize your cakes with a favorite cookie cutter, or adjust the color of the glaze to suit your color scheme.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet; line with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Step 2
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and the almond paste on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla; mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; set aside.
Step 3
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites until foamy. With the mixer running, gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Add a third of the egg-white mixture to the egg-yolk mixture, and fold with a whisk. Gently fold in remaining whites.
Step 4
Spread batter evenly on prepared sheet, and bake, turning pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
Step 5
Invert the cake onto a large work surface, and peel off parchment paper. Using assorted 2-inch cookie cutters, cut out cakes. Place cakes on wire racks set over rimmed baking sheets; set aside.
Step 6
Place the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour over white chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until mixture is smooth. Spoon melted chocolate over cakes, letting some run down the sides; spread with a small offset spatula to coat completely.Transfer glazed cakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Place a White Chocolate Cutouts on top of each cake; decorate with Royal Icing, if desired. Cakes can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Petits Fours how-to
Step 7
A sheet of almond-flavored cake is cut into individual cakes with a set of 2-inch cookie cutters.
Step 8
Melted white chocolate, tinted in pastel shades, is spread over a sheet of parchment with an offset spatula; once set, the chocolate is cut with the same set of cutters into shapes that will top the glazed cakes.
