Vanilla Petit Fours

madnad

I reviewed the recipe book The Petit Four Cookbook by Brooks Coulson Nguyen this weekend. In case you didn’t already know, petit four is French for ‘little oven’, and is used to describe small bite-sized cakes. I confess, as much as I like to eat these, I had never attempted them before so it was a bit of a challenge of my patience. The many processes involved resulted in a melt-in-the-mouth treat, that was a vision for the eyes. Will I be bothered to go through all that effort again though? I am unsure. As I said in my review, making these is a good way of spending a wet spring weekend.

This recipe was kindly reproduced from the book by permission from Ulysses Press

Vanilla Petit Fours

Serves 24
From book The Petit Four Cookbook by Brook Coulson Nguyen

Ingredients

Vanilla Sponge

  • 9 Large Egg Whites
  • 250g Granulated Sugar
  • 8 Large Egg Yolks
  • 450g Plain Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 180ml Vegetable Oil
  • 240ml Water
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Syrup

  • 180g Granulated Sugar
  • 180ml Water
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Custard

  • 1½ tablespoon Cornflour
  • 150g Granulated Sugar
  • 320ml Whole Milk

Vanilla Filling

  • 450g Unsalted Butter
  • 400ml Vanilla Custard (cold)
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Coating

  • 500g Marzipan
  • 450g White Chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F. Grease and line 3 9"X13" sheet pans
2. Whip the egg whites and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl
3. Using the same whisk attachment and bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale and creamy
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt
5. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture just until no streaks remain.
6. Gently fold in the dry ingredients
7. Slowly add the oil and water, fold in to combine. Lsstly, add the vanilla.
8. Divide the mixture between the 3 pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown
9. As the cake cools, make the syrup. Add the water and sugar to a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clearly. Add the vanilla extract and leave to cool
10. Now make the vanilla filling. Stir together 30g of the sugar with the cornflour
11. Put the rest of the sugar with the milk in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar as dissolved and it starts to boil
12. Pour a little of the hot milk into the sugar and cornstarch and whisk together until it forms a smooth paste
13. Add the cornstarch paste back into the pan of hot milk and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue to heat until the mixture starts to thicken
14. Take off the heat and place cling film directly onto the surface of the custard and allow to cool
15. Take the butter and whip in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. With the mixer still running, add the custard a little at a time and the vanilla. Continue to whip until fully incorporated and the mixture has increased in volume
16. Start to assemble the cake. Lay the first layer on a baking sheet, and brush with the syrup. Spread a layer of the buttercream filling
17. Place the second layer of sponge and brush with syrup. Spread another layer of buttercream filling. Top with the final layer of sponge and brush with syrup
18. Spread a thin layer of filling on the top. Roll out the marzipan to 3 or 3 mm thick and place over the top of the cake, trimming off any excess leaving about ½"
19. Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set up. Using petit four cutters, cut out shapes from the cake and place them in the freezer for at least 1 hour
20. To cover, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add the vegetable oil and stir until smooth
21. Pour the chocolate into a bowl that is at least 5" deep. Using two forks, quickly dip each cake into the chocolate. Gently tap off the excess and place on a lined baking sheet marzipan side up
22. Once the glaze is dry, cut off the excess glass with a sharp knife. Place each cake into a petit four case or fairy cake case
23. Decorate with melted chocolate
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