Petits Four
Simple petit fours made from a dense bought (or homemade) cake, cut into shapes and poured over with a glossy white-chocolate fondant tinted in pastel colours.
Ingredients
| 1 | Medium sized dense bought cake (like madeira cake) or one you bake | |
| 60 g | White chocolate | |
| 9 cups | 2.2 l | Sifted confectioners' or icing sugar |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | Water |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | Light corn or glucose syrup |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | Clear vanilla extract |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | Almond extract |
| — | Gel food colouring, in desired colors | |
| — | Sugar flowers to decorate and paper cupcake liners to serve |
Instructions
Step 1 - Cut the cake into squares or use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Brush off any excess crumbs.
Step 2 - Make a double boiler by placing a saucepan of water onto boil and fit a heatproof bowl on top so that it sits snugly, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. When the water is boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and add the chocolate and melt this, and then add the icing sugar, water, glucose syrup and vanilla and almond extracts and stir until combined and smooth. It will take about 7-10 minutes to get it totally smooth (especially if you're lazy like me and don't sift the icing sugar ;) ).
Step 3 - Place the cake pieces on a cooling rack placed over another tray to catch the drips (or I've seen chefs cut a big sheet of cling film and put it under the cooling rack and then just scrunch it up when they've finished). Working quickly as it sets very quickly, spoon some into a bowl and using a tablespoon pour it over the squares and affix a flower while it is still "wet". Then repeat this but this time add some colouring in a new bowl and mix a colour. I kept the large bowl of white icing on the stove to keep it liquid and warm and just made new colours one at a time.
I'd love to give you an action shot of pouring it over the cake squares but I had to work fast! It sets very quickly!
Step 4 - Allow to set for about 10-15 minutes. Take an offset spatula or paring knife and slice the petit four along the bottom so that you cut off the drips. The icing itself at this stage is slightly pliable so you can slightly mold it. Place in cupcake liners to serve.