PREPARE AND DISPLAY PETIT FOUR Expected Outcomes At the end of this lesson you should be able to: • Prepare iced petit four • Prepare fresh petit four • Prepare marzipan petit four • Prepare caramelized petit four Prepare iced petit four • Prepare, cut and assemble sponges and bases according to standard recipes and enterprise requirements and practices • Prepare fillings with the required flavors and consistency • Prepare fondant icing following required temperature and standard procedure • Design and use decorations in accordance with establishment standards and procedures Petit Fours refer to: • Small biscuits and cakes tastefully decorated • Sweetmeat and cakes designed to be served as dessert with after dinner coffee or cocktails Petit Fours • Petit Fours should be small. • They are often made into different shapes. • They are delicate, crisp, fresh, attractive, light, and designed to be swallowed in just one or two mouthfuls. Petit Fours • It is prepared from a variety of ingredients. They are usually small pieces that have been baked. While the emphasis is on small, non-baked confectionery items like caramelized and glace fruits, marzipan shapes, or other small sweet delicacies are also served as Petit Fours. Iced petit four • small, bite-sized cakes with a thin coating of glaze, typically fondant, which is applied at the end of the production process • Assembled in large sheets and cut after setting up, petit fours glaze contain thin layers of cake alternating with jam and/or butter cream. • The top of the cake is adorned with a thin layer of marzipan to add flavor, as well as a smooth surface for the glaze to settle on. Iced petit four • After the cake is cut, it can be enrobed in fondant, or sometimes dipped in chocolate. • Petit fours glazes are typically finished with intricate, stylized piping Marzipan made from almond paste, a cooked sugar syrup, and sometimes glucose and/or egg white. Types or kinds of petit four bases: Cake • can be baked in shallow trays then topped with soft topping then cut to shape desired similar to sponge sheets Shortbread • mixture of flour, fat and sugar, enriched with egg and has a short eating quality Types or kinds of petit four bases: Pastry Sponge • puff pastry can make a • baked in thin sheets and suitable base for petit fours layered together with filling when a sweet filling is used which act as an adhesive to hold the sheets of sponge together Assembling and cutting iced petit four base Things needed • Sponge sheets (56 mm thick or 3 cm total height when assembled) • Jam strawberry, mango, etc. ( smooth texture ) • 2 sheets of wax paper Procedure: 1. Lay the first sponge cake on a wax paper. 2. Spread a thin layer of jam over the cake. 3. Place a second sheet cake on top of the first layer. 4. Press firmly. 5. Remove loose crumbs. Procedure: 6. Spread a second layer jam thinly over the cake. 7. Take a third sheet of cake. Turn it over to put the bottom part on top. 8. Press sheets of sponge firmly together. 9. Place tray on top to allow layered cake and jam to bond. Cut bases to the desired shape • Any form and shape can be applied but accuracy of cutting is vital. It should minimize waste. • Shapes can be round, diagonal, square, or triangle. • Almost 20% of the product is wasted if round and diagonal shaped is use. Filling and flavor for iced petit four: • Jams are high in moisture is used to enhance flavor, add moisture, and to bind the product. Blend jam until a smooth consistency is attained, making sure no lumps are present, as they will tear sponge cake. Filling and flavor for iced petit four: • Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream. Ganache carry alcohol flavors well to add interest to the petit fours. When ganache is agitated it must be worked quickly as it will set. Filling and flavor for iced petit four: • Butter creams need to be chilled before cutting. Butter creams are flexible for decorating the tops of petit fours as they can be flavored and easily piped. However, they can be easily damaged at room temperature. Design and display iced petit four It is important to design, decorate, and display petit fours to: • Make them more attractive and appetizing • enhance presentation, and • visual and textural diversity. Sample petit four design PREPARE PETIT FOUR • Bake and decorate a selection of small choux paste shapes in accordance with established standards and procedures. • Prepare and blend baked sweet paste in accordance with establishment standards and procedures. • Prepare and use fillings the required flavors and correct consistency. • Use garnishes, glazes and finished in accordance with established standards and procedures. Fresh petit four • Fresh petit fours also called petit fours fraise or fresh are moist, filled with pastry cream and often topped with fresh fruits miniature éclairs, and cream puff. Fresh petit four • This type of petit four is created with mini pastries. The most common types of mini pastries are fruit tarts, éclairs or cream puffs. • Cream puffs and éclairs are filled with butter cream or pastry cream, while fruit tarts are made with custard and fresh fruits on top. Fresh petit four • Some fresh petit fours are made with marzipan and look like truffles. Fresh petit fours are not typically glazed, but some éclairs and cream puffs have a chocolate glaze placed on top to finish them off. Prepare marzipan petit four Prepare and display marzipan based petit fours • Marzipan is a sweetened mixture of ground almonds, liquid glucose or egg whites, corn syrup or sugar syrup and either icing sugar or caster sugar. Prepare and display marzipan based petit fours • Marzipan is a very versatile paste. Petit Fours based on a marzipan are attractive and popular for their color and appearance and their delicate pleasing taste. Marzipan • The marzipan needs to be stored and protected after making it. It will dry and these dry pieces will have an unpleasant texture should it be incorporated into the mix. Modelled Marzipan • Marzipans can be modelled into various fruit, vegetables, animals, and flower shapes. The most popular items are small marzipan fruits served as petit fours or candies. To store marzipan, wrap it in a plastic cling wrap and place it in an airtight container. Modelled Marzipan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78dTic6_05U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6nwAC8aGnE Storage and Service of Petit Fours • Storage plays an important role in the production and serving of petit fours. The environmental and individual characteristics of each item needs to be taken into consideration. • If the item is susceptible to humidity, it should be held airtight, vacuum sealed when possible. Storage and Service of Petit Fours • To maintain its freshness which is a defining characteristics of a petit fours, it is produce as close to serving as possible. • Caramelized petit four may have a shelf life of roughly 1 to 2 weeks. Fresh petit fours are kept for shorter periods of time, which varies by product. Storage and Service of Petit Fours • Freezing is a good option for many of the bases and dough which can be made up ahead of time and held until ready to bake or assemble
