Petit four
French confection or pâtisserie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A petit four (French pronunciation: [pəti fuʁ]; plural: petits fours [pəti fuʁ]) is a small bite-sized confectionery, pâtisserie or savory appetiser. The name is French for "small oven". Certain petit fours are also known as mignardises[miɲaʁdiz]. In England they are also known as fancies,[1] and dainties in the prairie provinces of Canada.
An assortment of petits fours | |
| Type | Confectionery Pâtisserie |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | France |
| Main ingredients | Varies by type |
History and etymology
There are two explanations for the name and development of petit fours. The most accepted is that during the 19th century in France, an oven was slightly more than a stone cabinet with a fire lit underneath. Because of this simplicity, there was no temperature control therefore you either had a hot oven or cooling down. The French called the hot oven "grand four", which translates into English as big oven, and was used to cook bread. Once the fire had extinguished, the oven took a while to cool down, so the residue heat was used to cook small cakes and pastries. The cooling oven was called "petit four" in French, or small oven in English.[2]
The alternative comes from historian Betty Wason in her book Cooks, Gluttons and Gourmets: A History of Cookery. According to Wason, the cakes were first presented as part of the course of entremet to Louis XIV as part of the competition between his chefs to impress his majesty.[3]
Types
Petits fours come in the following varieties:
- Glacé ("glazed"), these are tiny cakes made from sponge or pound cake, layered with jam or buttercream, and fully coated in glossy fondant, icing, or chocolate.[4][5][2]
- Salé ("salted"), savory bite-sized appetizers usually served at cocktail parties or buffets.[5]
- Sec ("dry"), dainty biscuits, baked meringues, macarons, and puff pastries[5][2]
- Frais ("fresh"), small cakes with perishable ingredients such as whipped cream, in products such as miniature Éclairs or tart.[5][2]
- Deguises ("disguised"), bite-sized treats featuring fruits or nuts that are coated or "disguised" in a layer of marzipan, caramel, or chocolate.[2]
In French pâtisserie, miniature iced cakes, such as éclairs, chocolate profiteroles or sweet tartlets are known as petit fours, while miniature desserts, that are not baked, such as mini chocolate mousses are called mignardises.[6]
- Different categories of petit four
Petit four glacé
Petit four salé made of potato and cheese
Petit four sec with chocolate coating
