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.