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Last updated on September 3rd, 2021
Why do I make lots of 19th-century desserts? Because the ghosts who inhabit my house demand them. Today, for instance, Sarah Wild (1793-1872) requested little cakes, or Petit Fours, for Afternoon Tea. How could I refuse?
A little history: Sarah was married to Nathan Wild (1790-1867), an English immigrant who made a fortune in the textile-manufacturing trade. In 1826 he built this house that I call home.
Sarah and Nathan’s son, Charles, inherited the place in 1867. Charles was “well-heeled,” too. In 1870 he built a grand, Victorian addition to the house: a double parlor (above) that I now use as a music room.
I cheated quite a bit in order to make Sarah’s Petit Fours. Instead of preparing a traditional genoise batter, I simply sliced up a store-bought pound cake, and spread the layers with two kinds of preserves. Then I sealed the cakes in white chocolate, and drizzled the tops with Royal Icing.
You can make these tiny treasures, too. Here’s the recipe:
To start, make or purchase an all-butter pound cake.
Cut the cake into 1/4-inch slices. Be sure to cut straight down (not on the bias), so the pieces will be level from top to bottom. You’ll need 18 slices for 12 Petit Fours.
Next, spoon some apricot preserves (1/2 cup) into a glass bowl, and heat them in the microwave until bubbly — 30 to 45 seconds.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Then add the warmed preserves, and push them down with a spoon. The sieve will hold back the bits of apricot peel, while the “good stuff” seeps into the bowl.
Also warm some seedless raspberry jam — about a 1/4 cup — in a small bowl. Mercifully, you won’t have to strain this jam.
Place 12 slices of cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and top 6 of them with a small spoonful of the filtered apricot preserves.
Spread out the preserves with the back of a spoon, or with an offset spatula.
Spread the next 6 slices with the raspberry preserves.
Place the raspberried slices atop the apricotted slices…
And finish with a third slice of cake.
Cover the cakes with plastic wrap, and weight them with a casserole dish. Then pop them into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Now grab your 1 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, and use it to punch out 2 round cakes per layered “sandwich.” Avoid the crusts — you won’t want them in your Petit Fours.
Don’t throw away the scraps! Your Little People will enjoy playing in them. Further more, you can freeze the wreckage for later use in a trifle. Or, you can simply break the scraps into goblets, and top them with whipped cream for a fast, and definitely casual, dessert.
The punched-out rounds are beautiful to behold. Place them on a rack set over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
To glaze these suckers, put 8 ounces of white chocolate bits and 6 tablespoons butter in a stainless (or heat-proof glass) bowl.
Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water…
And stir with a forest-green spatula until the chocolate and butter transform themselves into a luscious white lava — about 2 minutes.
Spoon or ladle the chocolate over the Petit Fours, letting it drip down the sides. The sauce will firm up as it cools.
The chocolate-coated cakes.
Sarah Wild suggested that I pipe some Royal Icing onto the cakes.
Her wish, as always, is my command.
If you have ghosts in your house, by all means keep them happy. Otherwise they will hoot, howl, and slam doors in the middle of the night.
Royal Icing is a cinch to make: Put the white of a large egg into a bowl, and whisk it until foamy.
Then add 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, and stir until smooth. If the mix is too thick, add a teaspoon of water (or lemon juice) to thin it out.
I added a tiny drop of vegetable coloring to turn the icing pastel-blue. You might prefer pink or purple icing.
Scoop the icing into a plastic bag…
Cut off the corner tip…
And pipe out some swirls, spirals, or other nifty designs.
These Petit Fours aren’t just delicious — they are hauntingly-delicious. Don’t make me beg you to try them!
Think you’ll give these simple Petit Fours a whirl? You can let me know by leaving a comment. As always, I love to hear from you.
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Print Recipe
Petit Fours with White Chocolate Glaze
These small confections are made from a store-bought (or homemade) pound cake.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Resting Time1 hour hr
Course: Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: French
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the layered cakes
- 1 9-inch x 4-inch pound cake, store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves, warmed and strained
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed
For the white chocolate glaze
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips or bars (chop the bars)
- 6 tablespoons diced unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)
For the royal icing:
- 1 large organic egg white at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove lumps
- A drop of vegetable food coloring, such as blue, pink, or violet
Instructions
Making the layered "sandwiches":
Cut the pound cake into 18 1/4-inch slices. Place the slices on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Spread 6 slices with the warmed and strained apricot preserves, and another 6 slices with the warmed raspberry jam. Place the apricot-spread slices on top of the rasberry-spread slices. Top with the remaining unadorned slices. Cover the "sandwiches" with cling film, and weigh down with casserole dish or a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
Place a wire rack on a parchment or wax paper llined baking sheet. Using a 1 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, and taking care to avoid crusts, press out 2 petit fours per layered sandwich, and transfer them to the wire rack. (Don't throw out the scraps -- you can freeze them and serve later with whipped cream for a simple dessert.)
The white chocolate glaze:
Put the chocolate, butter, and optional shortening in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a sauce pan of very hot, but not simmering, water. Stirring with a metal spoon from time to time, allow the mixture to melt into a velvety white lava. Spoon or ladle the sauce over the petit fours, letting it drizzle down the sides. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
The royal icing:
In a medium size bowl, whisk the egg white until it foams -- about 30 seconds. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar, and stir, with a spoon or spatula, until the mixture is perfectly smooth. If the icing is too thick, stir in droplets of water. Stir in a speck of the food coloring to achieve the desired tint.
Piping the icing:
Scoop the icing into a plastic zip-lock bag. Squeeze the bag to force the icing into one corner. Snip off the corner tip, and pipe swirls, spirals, or dots onto the tops of the cakes. Allow the icing to dry for at least 1 hour.
Serving and storage:
Serve the petit fours for Afternoon Tea -- Earl Grey is recommended. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. For longer storage, omit the royal icing, and freeze the chocolate-covered cakes for 1-3 months. Pipe on the royal icing before serving.
