4/23/2015

Mother's day sweets box (Petit Fours)

Nutrition (1 Petit Four): 45 kcal, 10 g Carbs, 0.2 g Fats, 1 g Protein, 0.1 mcg B12, 0.1 mg B2, 0.1 mg B5, 4 mcg Folate, 27 IU vit. A, 5 IU vit. D, 7 mg Calcium, 0.1 mg Copper, 0.3 mg Iron, 2 mg Magnesium, 16 mg Phosphorus, 25 mg Potassium, 2mcg Selenium, 0.1 mg Zinc.

Ingredients (makes 60 small cakes):

6 eggs, whites and yolks separated

150 g/ ¾ cup/ 6 oz caster sugar

200 g/ 1 ½ cups/ 7 oz plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

25 g/ 5 tsp/ 1 oz cacao powder

100 g/ ½ cup/ 3 ½ oz cornstarch

3 tbsp Rum (I prefer Bacardi)

250 g/ 1 cup/ 9 oz red currant jam

Icing:

400 g/ 4 ½ cups/14 oz icing sugar, sifted

60 ml/4 tbsp boiling water

10 g/2 tsp citric acid

Preheat oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas Mark 5.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks with 6 tbsp cold water with electric beater until they thicken. Add the sugar (150 g/ ¾ cup/ 6 oz), continue beating the yolks until color is pale yellow.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks, then gently fold them into yolks and flour mixture with a spatula.

Divide the mixture in half and place in separate bowls. Add the cacao powder and Rum to one portion. Beat until combined.

Grease baking tray and line the base with baking parchment.

Pour the white mixture into the tray and gently pour the brown mixture nearby. Level the surface with a spatula of each layer.


Bake in a preheated oven, 190 C/375 F/Gas Mark 5, for about 15 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and leave to cool. Separate white and brown layers. With a pastry brush apply water onto layers to soak the sponge cake layers. Be generous.

To make the jam easier to spread and to prevent tearing the cake, puree the red currant jam in a food processor.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the brown cake layer onto the lined baking sheet. Spread the jam in and even layer over the cake. Carefully top with the white sponge cake layer.

Use 1 inch wide cookie cutter or a knife to cut round, square, and diamond shapes from the cake.

For the icing combine the sifted icing sugar, boiling water, citric acid to form a spreadable glaze. Leave for 10 minutes.

Divide the icing equally between two or three small bowls. Stir in food coloring, a drop at a time, into each bowl until the icing is the desired shade. Using electric beater, beat the each mixture for 1 minute.

Spread this mixture on the biscuits working with one piece of cake at a time, spoon on the icing to cover it completely. Then add sprinkles, colored sugar, or a candy flower before the icing sets. Let the cakes stand, uncovered, until the icing is dry.

21 comments:

  1. These look great.

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  2. I will need to try this recipe in a few days when I am back on my feet!

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  3. Anonymous4/23/2015

    Yum – thank you and have a great weekend!

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  4. Martin4/23/2015

    looks great!

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  5. I had a headache - what to present for mum, now I don't.

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  6. I really love everything small!

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  7. Holy man, these petit fours are gorgeous, Simon! I mean, seriously.

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  8. these Petit Fours like they’ve been made by a French Maitre Patissier!

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  9. these look fantastic!

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  10. So delicate and so fantastic!

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  11. Anonymous4/24/2015

    How cute are these!

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  12. Ping-Pong4/24/2015

    Perfect for serving up at party

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  13. these look amazing!

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  14. These look beyond delicious

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  15. Anonymous4/24/2015

    Going to try and make them and hope they look as great as yours!

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  16. These really look like the perfect bite…

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  17. I love the way the icing looks.

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  18. Anonymous4/24/2015

    This looks amazing!

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  19. Tamara4/24/2015

    These are perfection!

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  20. They look almost too good to eat, but I would and several of them!

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  21. This recipe sounds so good. Looking forward to attempting to bake them.

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