Very Simple Petite Fours

PETITE FOURS TIPS .
1. I sometimes like to use Dry Candy Fondant. Add water to consistency (color and flavor). Heat but NEVER boil or get too hot. I forget what the exact temp is then I remember temp should not reach over 100 degrees! Re-heat when it cools too much. Use of a candy thermometer is a great way to keep safe on heating. (Heating too much causes icing to thicken - add more water if this happens).
2. Petite fours take a long time to do and are consequently very expensive!

This is by far the easiest way to make petite fours. I can coat 6 dozen in about 30 minutes. The trick is to cut them into squares (I use a square cookie cutter) and then freeze them.

Here is the complete process:

Bake a 2-inch high cake. Level it and torte it into two layers. Fill it with whatever filling you want to use and ice the top only with buttercream. Cut into squares and then freeze solidly. Give them at least a couple of hours in the freezer. Mix 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of light corn syrup in a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir in about 3 lbs of powdered sugar and whatever flavoring you want to use like popular lemon. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir and microwave for another minute. It will be much warmer than most other recipes for poured fondant. Put a cooling grid on an elevated cake stand with half of it hanging off the side.

You will need to use a weight on the side sitting on the cake stand to keep it from tilting off. Take out a few petit fours about 8 at a time. Stick a toothpick in the bottom. If your cake is frozen it will be slightly difficult to get the toothpick in, but it needs to be so you can dip them without them falling off. Dip the frozen cake squares in the hot fondant. I start by dipping the top and then roll it over to the side and turn to cover all sides except the bottom.

Now hold the toothpick in your left hand and stick it through a hole on the cooling grid. Grab it from the bottom with your right hand. Pull straight down so the cake comes off the toothpick and rests on the grid. Then just let it sit until it hardens. Repeat the process for the rest of the petite fours. When the fondant starts to cool off just pop it back in the microwave for a minute.

Here is why this works so well. First, because the fondant is so warm it covers smoothly with no lumps. Second, the cake being frozen makes it stay on the toothpick and makes the fondant set very quickly. Third, by dipping you eliminate bare spots and greatly reduce the amount that drips off. . I just started doing the same process to dip chocolate petite fours too. I just thin the Candy Melts with shortening so it doesn't set as hard. I promise if you try this you will wonder why anyone ever did it any other way! Here is another complete innovation in doing these tiny cakes - talk about EASY! We carry molds for doing petite fours. Heart shaped, round, assorted shapes...it is SO simple!!

Written Original Post Date: 12/31/08 12:31am