Petit Fours

1. PETIT
FOURS
Prepared by: Maria Merllan Estrellante Mier

2. History of Petit Fours
• In 18th and 19th century France, gas ovens did not exist.
Large brick (Dutch design) ovens were used, which took
a long time to heat up to bake bread, but also to cool
down. Bakers used the ovens during the cooling
process, taking advantage of their stored heat, for
baking pastry. This was called baking à petit four
(literally
"at small oven"), a lower
temperature that allowed
pastry baking.

3. Petit fours and their characteristics
•Petit fours are small bite-sized pastries or
confections served after a meal. The French word
petit four means “small oven” and refers to the
very small, secondary oven in which the pastries
were baked. They’re also known as sweetmeats,
fancy cakes, bonbons, or confections.

4. • Petit fours are typically one to three bites in size
and have a variety of shapes and decorations.
Common types of petit fours include cakes,
cookies, chocolate pieces, and meringues. A petit
four is a small bite-sized confectionery or savory
appetizer, or a small cake or piece of pastry. The
name is derived from the French, petit fours,
meaning "small oven".

5. • Petit fours were traditionally baked in a smaller oven next to
the main oven, called the petit four oven, although they are
now often baked in standard ovens. Some modern commercial
bakeries mass-produce frozen petit fours for sale to consumers;
these products are often frosted and decorated with colorful
piped royal icing.
• Petit fours may be covered in powdered sugar or icing, with
decorations on top. The cakes can be filled with fruit preserves
or buttercream.

6. Types of petit fours
1. Hazelnut: These are the classic petit fours, with a light, creamy filling.
These petit fours tend to be less sweet than other varieties.
2. Almond: Almonds in chocolate are another classic option. It comes in
two flavors: almond and pistachio.
3. Pistachio: A touch of orange accentuates this delicacy. It's more delicate
than the other varieties, but it's still very rich in flavor.
4. Coconut cream: Traditionally these petit fours are made from coconut,
but almond and pistachio versions are also available. This is an extremely
decadent treat for chocolate lovers.

7. 5. Chocolate /ganache - a soft mixture of chocolate and cream can be
presented in a base of hard chocolate.
6. Marzipan – can be used as a base for petit fours
7. Choux paste - is made by boiling water and fat
8. Sponge – is baked in thin sheets and they are layered’ together
with flavoured filling that will act as an adhesive to hold the sheets
of sponge together.
9. Shortbread - a mixture of flour, fat, and sugar, enriched with egg,
and has a short base for petit eating quality.
10. Pastry – savoury pastry like puff pastry can make a suitable base
for petit fours when a sweet filling is used.

8. Ganache - a mixture of chocolate and cream.
Buttercreams - can be flavoured to the desired standard,
adds a good mouthfeel, and cuts well when cold
Icing Fondant - is used to glaze petit four. It is kneaded
with flavoured and coloured as desired. You can roll it
out, cut, and dip in it chocolate or roll and dip it in
Fillings for petit fours

9. • CHOUX PASTE – meaning cabbage paste. A unique
from a small drop of choux paste batter can get 3x
height. Choux paste is leavened by steam and baked in
a hollow shell that can be filled with filling. It is baked in
a very hot oven in which the heat from the oven
coagulates the gluten and protein from the eggs to set
the structure and make a firm shell.

10. KINDS OF CHOUX PASTE
1. Beignet – deep fried, often topped with sugar
2. Boschebol - a large dutch profiterole, filled with
whipped cream and coated entirely with chocolate
3. Chouquette - a small portion of choux pastry sprinkled
with pearl sugar and sometimes filled with custard or
mousse

11. 4. Croquembuche - a French dessert consisting of choux pastry
balls piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel
5. Éclair - an oblong pastry filled with cream and topped with
icing paste
6. Gougère - a baked savory pastry made of choux dough mixed
with cheese
7. Lady's navel - made from balls of choux pastry which are given
a dimple, deep-fried, and then soaked in syrup.

12. 8. Nun's puffs - the choux is pan-fried before baking
9. Profiterole - a French dessert choux pastry ball filled
with whipped cream, pastry cream, custard, or ice
cream
10. Paris-Brest - made of choux pastry and a praline-
flavored cream, shaped round like a wheel for the
bicycle race for which it is named

13. Varieties of Petit Fours
Petit fours come in three varieties:
• Glazed - iced or decorated tiny cakes
covered in fondant or icing, such as small
éclairs, and tartlets
• Salted - savory bite-sized appetizers usually served at
cocktail parties or buffets
• Dry - dainty biscuits, baked meringues, macarons, and puff
pastries
In a French patisserie, assorted small desserts are
usually called mignardises, while hard, buttery biscuits
are called petit fours.

14. What is a petit four made of?
• A petit four is a small cake, typically made of sponge cake and
decorated with frosting. The word "petit" translates to "little" in
French. To make a petit four it is usually cut into squares, a
half-moon-shaped slice, or an octagon shape. It can be filled
with whipped cream or other fillings (such as chocolate
mousse) as well.
• A petit four is traditionally made for special occasions such as
birthdays, anniversaries, and other festive occasions.

15. • Petit fours are also known as wedding cakes in France (the
French word for Petit Four means "wedding cake"), and that is
where the term petit four derives from. To make a wedding
cake in France it is necessary to have a professional decorator
who has studied the art of decorating cakes for many years.
The size of the wedding cake will be proportionate to the size
of the celebration and the number of guests expected at the
party. This can affect how much time you or your decorator will
have to spend on each petit four you make.

16. Difference between petit fours and fondant fancies
• Petit fours and fondant fancies are both small, simple cakes. They're
often served at afternoon tea or other functions where they can be
eaten by hand. Petit fours are small bite-sized sweets that can be
made from biscuit, sponge, or choux pastry, and are often coated in
icing or chocolate.
• Petit fours are small individual pastries that are made from a
sponge cake base, with a variety of toppings, glazes, and frostings.
They can be dipped in chocolate or covered in fondant icing,
marzipan, or royal icing.

17. • They come in an enormous variety of shapes and colors,
and with the addition of sugar paste flowers and other
decorations, can be highly decorative.
• Fondant fancies (also known as petit fours glacés) are
small iced cakes that have a layer of icing on the top
and bottom. They are often covered with fondant icing
which is rolled out to cover the cake. Many fondant
fancies also have piped decorations on them.

18. Iced petit four
• Iced petit four is a small cake that is traditionally served on a special
occasion such as a wedding or as an afternoon snack with tea. The
cakes are less than two inches in diameter and are served in rows of
three or four. There are many variations of iced petit fours, but they
commonly include two layers of cake, a layer of frosting, and an
outer coating of icing.
• Iced petit fours may be prepared for the baker's use or sale. The
preparation process is time-consuming, which makes the cakes
expensive to purchase from a bakery. They are popular additions to
dessert tables at weddings and other events.

19. What are small French cakes called?
• Macarons are small French cakes traditionally made of almond flour, sugar,
and egg whites with filling sandwiched between two cookies.
• "Macaron" is the French spelling that has become common in English,
though "macaroon" is also often used. This is not to be confused with the
coconut macaroon, a different cookie.
• They can be made from a variety of recipes, including sponge cake and
almond cake, and are often covered with icing or fondant in a wide array
of colors. They are usually served with coffee at the end of a meal. The
cakes may be glazed or topped with marzipan, icing, or fondant in a wide
array of colors and decorated to look like real or fanciful objects such as
flowers, fruits, animals, and insects. Petit fours can be displayed on tiered
cake stands in bakeries and eaten at home.

20. Should petit fours be refrigerated?
• The answer to this question is a definitive "it depends." Some people
say that keeping petit fours chilled will make them taste better, while
others say it doesn't matter. Whichever camp you're in, there are a few
things that you need to keep in mind when refrigerating your petit
fours.
• First, the most important thing to remember is that petit fours are
baked goods and not cooked food — as such, they should be eaten
as soon as possible after being baked. Therefore, if you keep them
cold for a long time, they'll likely be stale by the time you eat them.

21. • Second, keep in mind that because petit fours contain
eggs and other proteins, they can get a little oily when
refrigerated. That doesn't necessarily mean that they've
gone bad or don't taste good — it's just something you
should be aware of if you frequently refrigerate them.

22. Caramelized petit fours
• To understand caramelized petit fours, you must first understand petit
fours. The name Petit Four is French for “small oven” and refers to any
small pastries or cakes that are assembled in stages. Plain petit fours are
typically white cake squares that are covered with a layer of fondant. The
fondant is often almond flavored, but can also be chocolate or any other
flavor.
• Caramelized petit fours have a topping of caramelized sugar, adding an
extra layer of crunchy sweetness to the already sweet little cakes. They
can be served as finger food at fancy parties, or individually wrapped
and given as gifts.

23. Best way to display caramelized petit fours
1. Caramelize without baking -- Heat sugar with water and
lemon juice until caramelized, then coat your cakes with
this caramel. You will have to heat them gently on an
oiled surface until they absorb all the caramel and are
coated well.

24. 2. Make cake moist and soft -- Make sure you make a
moist recipe for your petit fours. There are many recipes
available online. Also, ensure that you pour the batter
into small tins so that they remain soft and moist when
baked.
3. Store properly -- Store the petit fours in air-tight
containers with a few drops of brandy or rum so that
they retain moisture. Increase the level of alcohol
depending on how long you want to store them.

25. Types of decorations are best for petit four
• In the case of petit four, you can use many types of
decorations.
• Icing, chocolate, dragées, and mini-candies are among the
most common ones. There's a large selection of decorative
mini candies that come in various shapes and colors.
• Be creative with your decoration: use your imagination to
create beautiful designs.
• Petit fours are little square cakes, which are baked in a
square pan and cut into squares.

26. • So these Petit fours are small cakes that are typically
served at weddings or other special events. Since they're
only a few bites each, it's important to make them as eye-
catching as possible. The easiest way to do this is by
decorating the tops of your petit fours with royal icing.
Spread royal icing over the top of each petit four using a
spatula or butter knife, then use decorative tips to create
patterns on the icing. Choose a contrasting color for the
icing so it stands out against the petit four itself.

27. 1. Square cut
2. Diagonal cut
3. Oval cut
4. Triangle cut
CUTTING TYPES OF PETIT FOURS

28. Assembly
Lay the sponge sheet on a sheet of baking paper
Spread a thin layer of apricot jam over the sponge sheet
Place a second sheet of sponge on top
Press firmly into place
Remove any loose sponge crumbs

29. Spread a second layer of apricot jam thinly over sponge sheets
Take a third sheet of sponge and turn it over so the bottom of the
sponge sheet is on top
Lay the sponge sheet on top and place the second sheet of paper
on top and press the sheets of sponge firmly together
Place a metal tray on top and allow layered sponge sheets and
apricot jam to bond.
Buttercream products need to stand in a cool environment until
they are firm.