History of the petit fours
Petit four, which simply means “little oven,” is the exact name for those miniature cakes you place on trays at parties and on the table at fancy dinners. They are presented in the form of mini cakes made from cream and fruit. The ability of chefs and caterers to create new and special types of petit fours is limitless. They can work as snacks and as a full meal, depending on the circumstances.
If you are not sure why snacks are called little ovens, this is the answer for you. In 19th century France there were no gas ovens. The breadmaker 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 furnaces 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 point. This setting was used when roasts, wild boars, pork, beef ribs, vegetable platters and potatoes were cooked.
The second scenario was the petit four, when the fire began to die down and the heat to weaken. This configuration was used when individual cakes and bite-sized 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 (18 1/2 ounces) white cake mix
1/2 teaspoon 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 desired
Icing flowers, if desired
Addresses:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 square (8-inch) baking pans. Set aside.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding 1/2 teaspoon almond extract with water. Evenly divide cake batter among prepared pans. Bake 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 full boil (12 to 14 minutes). Cover; boil 3 minutes. To find out; Continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches (228°F. to 234°F.) or a small amount of mixture poured 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 almond extract, and food coloring.
Place wire rack on baking sheet. Place cake pieces cut side up on a wire rack. Carefully spread the frosting over the edges of the cake pieces with a spatula or small spoon. Spoon about 1 tablespoon over top of each cake, allowing to drizzle down sides. Repeat, coating each piece twice, if necessary. (If the frosting gets too thick, reheat over low heat until it is a thin, easy-to-sprinkle consistency (2-3 minutes).) Scrape frosting from baking sheet; reuse, if necessary. Garnish each petit four with caramel flowers or icing flowers, if desired.