The End of Petit Fours

Our section on petit fours has sadly come to an end, but I had to update you all on what we did on the last two days.

We got to filling the pink macaron with a raspberry filling we made with fresh raspberries and raspberry puree. We also made the French meringue method for macaron...and they are chocolate...could it get any better?....yup! We made earl grey chocolate ganache to fill those babies. So fragrant and decadent.

On we went with making more mini tarts. Apple toasted almond and fresh fruit with pastry cream..

The apple tarts are filled with yup, apples, which we diced and sauteed with cinnamon, sugar and of course butter, just until tender and we top them with an almond streusel and bake...easy but so buttery, flaky and sweet. The pastry cream tarts are of course a sweet dough filled with a vanilla custard and topped with beautifully cut up fruit. Probably one of my favorite French staple desserts. We made them special by making a citrus candied zest as a garnish and as a pop of flavor.

The last treat we made was Almond Tuile, normally served as a garnish in multiple shapes and forms, but also served as a petit four in bakeries and pastry shoppes. It is a thin crisp sweet or sometimes savory cookie or wafer made with dough or sugar. Tuile, meaning tile in French and meant to resemble French roof tiles.
 

Sugar and Almonds? How could anyone not like them. Tricky little suckers to make....they have to be baked for just the right amount of time, just like so many French pastries...not to little, but not too much...just right! We dont want to under or over bake these tuiles because we want them to bend and shape perfectly once we pull them from the oven...but not as soon as they come out....just mere seconds after...definitely a product to keep your eye on.

Petit fours have been fun, and I think I am ready to step away and move on to breads and breakfast pastries for the next two weeks...Im ready to roll up my sleeves, whip out the muscles and get kneading and rolling!

Look for it....up tomorrow: blueberry muffins, brioche and toast bread!

-N