PETIT FOURS RECIPE

Desserts & PastriesFrench and Classical
Written By Chef Gabriel G.

⏲ Prep time ⏲ Cooking time Difficulty level Portions

25 min 25 min ★★★☆☆ 12

Assembly & icing: 20–30 minutes

Ingredients

Sponge cake

•             Plain flour — 180 g

•             Caster sugar — 180 g

•             Eggs — 180 g (≈3 large)

•             Unsalted butter, melted — 60 g

•             Milk — 40 g

•             Baking powder — 6 g

•             Fine salt — 1 g

•             Vanilla extract — 3 g

Filling

•             Apricot jam or raspberry jam — 120 g

•             Water (to loosen jam if needed) — 10 g

Poured fondant icing

•             Icing sugar — 500 g

•             Water — 80–100 g

•             Glucose syrup or honey — 20 g

•             Vanilla extract — 2 g

•             Food colouring (optional) — a few drops

Decoration (optional)

•             Melted dark chocolate — 40 g

•             Candied fruit — 20 g

•             Sprinkles or edible flowers — small amount

Cooking instructions

1. Bake the sponge

  • Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 30×20 cm tray.

  • Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and airy.

  • Add melted butter, milk, and vanilla.

  • Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt.

  • Spread evenly in the tray and bake 20–25 minutes until golden.

  • Cool completely.

2. Prepare the filling

  • Warm jam with a splash of water until spreadable.

  • Cut the sponge in half horizontally and spread jam over one layer.

  • Sandwich with the second layer and chill 10 minutes to firm.

3. Cut into petit fours

  • Trim edges for clean sides.

  • Cut into 24 small squares (about 3×3 cm).

  • Freeze the squares for 10–15 minutes — this makes icing much easier.

4. Make the poured fondant

  • Heat icing sugar, water, and glucose gently until smooth and pourable (not hot).

  • Add vanilla and colouring if using.

  • Keep warm over a bain‑marie so it stays fluid.

5. Glaze

  • Place petit fours on a wire rack.

  • Spoon or pour fondant over each piece, letting excess drip off.

  • Decorate with chocolate lines, candied fruit, or sprinkles before the icing sets.

Chef ’s Notes

•             Freezing the cake squares is the secret to clean glazing — they won’t crumble.

•             Fondant consistency matters: too thick and it won’t coat; too thin and it runs off. Aim for warm‑honey texture.

•             Flavour variations: lemon sponge with lemon fondant, chocolate sponge with white fondant, or pistachio sponge with rose icing.

•             Storage: keep refrigerated in an airtight container; they stay fresh 2–3 days.

•             Presentation tip: mix colours (white, pink, pale yellow) for a classic petit‑four tray.

Chef Gabriel G.

Chef Gabriel G. is a culinary professional with over 25 years of experience in professional kitchens, bringing deep expertise from restaurants, hotels, and culinary training environments. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself not only to cooking but also to sharing knowledge, developing menus, and mentoring the next generation of culinary professionals. His approach combines classical culinary foundations with modern techniques, focusing on precision, quality ingredients, and efficient kitchen practices.

Over the past two and a half decades, Chef Gabriel G. has worked in a variety of demanding culinary environments, including restaurants, hotel kitchens, and professional culinary operations. These experiences have given him a strong understanding of kitchen management, workflow optimization, and high-level food production.

He has been involved in menu creation and implementation, ensuring that dishes are not only flavorful but also operationally efficient and consistent in quality. His work has helped kitchens improve organization, maintain high standards, and deliver memorable dining experiences.

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