Scribd
Upload
90 views17 pages

Pettie Four

Petit fours are small bite-sized confectioneries or savory appetizers. Historically in France, ovens took a long time to heat up but retained heat while cooling, allowing lower temperature baking of small pastries, giving the name 'petit four'. Petit fours come in three varieties: glacé with icing, salé being savory, and sec being small biscuits. There are also different types of petit fours including petits fours sec being dry cookies, petits fours glaces being tiny cakes topped with fondant, and petits fours frais being small pastries eaten the same day.

Uploaded by

khiluag74
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
90 views17 pages

Pettie Four

Petit fours are small bite-sized confectioneries or savory appetizers. Historically in France, ovens took a long time to heat up but retained heat while cooling, allowing lower temperature baking of small pastries, giving the name 'petit four'. Petit fours come in three varieties: glacé with icing, salé being savory, and sec being small biscuits. There are also different types of petit fours including petits fours sec being dry cookies, petits fours glaces being tiny cakes topped with fondant, and petits fours frais being small pastries eaten the same day.

Uploaded by

khiluag74
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

PETTIE FOUR

A petit four (plural: petits fours, also known


ias mgnardises) is a small bite-sized confectionery or
savory appetizer.

The name is French, petit four (French pronunciation: ​[pə.ti fuʁ]


), meaning "small oven".
In 18th and 19th century France, gas ovens did not
exist. Large brick (Dutch design) ovens were used,
which took a long time to heat up to bake bread, but
also to cool down. Bakers used the ovens during the
cooling process, taking advantage of their stored
heat, for baking pastry. This was called baking à
petit four (literally "at small oven"), a lower
temperature which allowed pastry baking
The perfect bite-sized treat, these Petit
Fours are lovely at parties, weddings,
tea time, and more! A soft cake with
raspberry jam and buttercream layered
in-between and topped with a white
chocolate coating, these petit fours are
so delightful!
These petit fours are a versatile dessert as they
are welcome at everything from baby showers
to birthday parties. They are delightful served
alongside afternoon tea sandwiches. They have
a reputation for being a fussy dessert as they’re
so small and delicate, but the cakes are actually
quite simple! There’s nothing overly technical
here, and my step by step photos and tips make
it super easy to create them yourself. Be
prepared to impress your guests after whipping
up a batch of these lovely petit fours.
The History of the Petit Four
The French name “petit four” has nothing at all to do with the number four.
The moniker actually comes from the baking method originally used to make
these sweet treats. During the 1800s in France, an oven was little more than a
large stone cabinet with a fire lit underneath it. Under these circumstances,
temperature control was essentially non-existent. As a result, French bakers
had only two oven “settings”: blazing hot, and cooling down.
The blazing hot setting was reached when the coals under the oven were burning at
maximum capacity. This mode of cooking was referred to in French as “grand four”
– translated in English, “big oven” – and was used primarily to cook meats. Once the
fire under the stone oven was extinguished, much of the heat was retained.
Consequently, it took a very long time for these ovens to cool down. This cooling
process, when the oven still retained some latent heat, was referred to as “petit four,”
or “small oven.” The trapped heat was just enough to cook tiny, individual pastries.
Petits fours come in three varieties:

•Glacé ("glazed"), iced or decorated tiny cakes covered in fondant or


icing, such as small éclairs, and tartlets

•Salé ("salted"), savory bite-sized appetizers usually served at cocktail


parties or buffets

•Sec ("dry"), dainty biscuits, baked meringues, macarons, and


puff pastries
Types of Petit Fours

Within the petit fours category come a


host of variations. There are the
traditional mini cakes as well as many
other tiny French desserts that fall under
the umbrella of “petit fours.” Here are a
few of the different types:
Petits fours sec: These are dry cookies baked at
a low temperature for a long time. Popular
examples include sable beurre, palmiers,
duchesses, and macarons. They might also have
a jam, ganache, or dried fruit filling.
Petits fours glaces: Tiny cakes that are topped
with marzipan and then enrobed in either
fondant or chocolate. This type of petit four is
usually elaborately decorated with intricate
piping. These are often the images that come to
mind when people think of the traditional petit
four.
Petits fours frais: These petits fours are any small pastries that
must be eaten the same day they are made because they lose
significant quality the longer they sit. Examples include
sponge cakes, such as madeleines and financiers, as well as
cream-filled pastries like eclairs and tartlets. They are
typically moist, hence the need for same-day consumption.
Petits fours deguises: Desserts in this
category consist of fresh or dried fruit
that is dipped in a sweet coating such as
chocolate or cooked sugar. Examples
include chocolate covered strawberries
or candied citrus fruits.

You might also like