Petit fours are small bite-sized confections that are usually served at the end of a meal. They come in a variety of shapes, flavors, and colors, but traditionally there are three main types of petit fours: glace, sec, and fourre. Understanding the differences between these three types can help you appreciate the artistry that goes into crafting perfect petit fours.
Glace Petit Fours
Glace petit fours are iced and decorated miniature cakes. The cake itself is light and delicate, such as genoise or dacquoise. A thin layer of icing completely coats the little cake, and then it is beautifully decorated with fondant, colored icing, chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other toppings. The icing helps keep the petite cake fresh. Glace petit fours are stunning works of edible art, with elegant designs and vibrant colors.
There are a few steps involved in making glace petit fours:
- Bake a sheet cake using a light cake recipe.
- Slice the cake into small, uniform squares when cooled.
- Brush the cake squares with syrup to add moisture.
- Spread or pipe a thin layer of icing over each cake square to seal in the moisture.
- Decorate the iced cakes beautifully and elaborately.
- Allow the icing to set completely before serving.
Glace petit fours can be made in a variety of flavors. Popular choices include chocolate, coffee, lemon, pistachio, raspberry, caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla. The cake and icing flavors are frequently coordinated for a harmonious combination. For example, a pistachio cake square might be paired with a rose icing.
These ornate little cakes require finesse and an artistic flair to decorate properly. Some common decorating techniques for glace petit fours include:
- Piping royal icing into delicate patterns
- Creating flower shapes with colored fondant
- Brushing edible metallic dust or lusters for sheen
- Adding borders with chocolate decor or caramel
- Adorning with chopped or whole nuts
- Topping with fruit slices or preserves
- Dusting with powdered sugar for sweetness and texture
- Drizzling with chocolate ganache or sauce
The creativity possibilities are endless! Skilled pastry chefs can make true miniature masterpieces with each petit four.
Popular Glace Petit Four Flavors
Here are some popular glace petit four flavors to give you inspiration:
- Strawberries & Cream – Strawberry dacquoise cake with whipped cream icing
- Lemon Raspberry – Lemon genoise with raspberry buttercream
- Chocolate Caramel – Chocolate cake with caramel milk chocolate icing
- Pistachio Cherry – Pistachio cake with cherry mascarpone icing
- Hazelnut Mocha – Hazelnut cake with espresso buttercream
- Red Velvet – Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
- Vanilla Rose – Vanilla cake with rosewater icing
The cake flavor pairs nicely with the icing flavor for a lovely combination. Decorations complement the overall theme.
Sec Petit Fours
Sec petit fours are mini French pastries that have a dry and crunchy texture. Unlike glace petit fours, sec petit fours are not iced or filled. Instead, they are made up of layers of dough, nuts, and fruit jams that are baked until dry and crisp.
There are two primary types of sec petit fours:
- Napoleon Petit Fours – Built with sheets of puff pastry layered with jam filling and nuts.
- Financier Petit Fours – Made up of almond cake batter baked into small, sturdy cakes.
Napoleon petit fours require laminating and folding butter into the pastry dough to create the flaky puff pastry layers. Financier petit fours get their distinctive texture from ground almonds and browned butter.
Here is the basic process for making sec petit fours:
- Prepare the dough or batter. Puff pastry or financier batter are best.
- Portion the dough or batter into small bites on a baking sheet.
- For napoleons, layer jam filling and nuts between pastry squares.
- Bake until fully set and dry. The edges should be golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.
- Dip edges in chocolate or dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.
Popular jam choices for napoleon petit fours are raspberry, apricot, cherry and lemon curds. Financiers work well with berries folded into the batter before baking.
Sec petit fours have a distinct crunchy, flaky, or crumbly texture. They tend to be thicker than glace petit fours. The nuts and jam provide richness, while the pastry or cake lend buttery notes. Overall, they provide a satisfying mouthfeel and taste.
Popular Sec Petit Four Flavors
Some delicious sec petit four flavors include:
- Raspberry Hazelnut Napoleons – Raspberry jam with hazelnuts in puff pastry.
- Apricot Almond Financiers – Apricot jam batter baked into little almond cakes.
- Chocolate Cherry Napoleons – Cherry jam layered with chocolate in puff pastry.
- Strawberry Pistachio Financiers – Pistachios and strawberries baked into financier batter.
- Lemon Blueberry Napoleons – Tart lemon curd with blueberries in flaky layers.
The combinations of fruits, nuts, and pastry allow for so many options with sec petit fours. Pastry chefs get creative with the flavors!
Fourre Petit Fours
Fourre petit fours are filled petite French pastries. They consist of a dough casing that envelops a sweet filling inside. The filling is what makes fourre petit fours unique compared to glace and sec petit fours that are not filled.
There are a couple common ways to make the dough casing for fourre petit fours:
- Choux pastry – The classic dough used for cream puffs and eclairs.
- Shortcrust pastry – A simple dough made from flour, butter, sugar, and eggs.
The filling inside fourre petit fours is usually a rich, creamy pastry filling. Common options include:
- Pastry cream
- Chocolate ganache or mousse
- Buttercream
- Whipped cream
- Fruit preserves or curds
To make fourre petit fours:
- Make the dough casing, either choux pastry or shortcrust pastry.
- Portion the dough into small pieces and shape as desired.
- Bake the dough until fully set and dry.
- Cut a small slit into each piece of baked dough.
- Pipe or spoon filling inside the opening.
- Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until serving time.
Traditional shapes for fourre petit fours include rounds, squares, diamonds, rectangles, and triangles. The petite pastries are usually about 1-2 inches wide or long.
When biting into fourre petit fours, you get a lovely contrast of textures. The casing provides crunch or flakiness. The filling delivers creaminess and moisture. Overall, they make a delightful petite French pastry.
Popular Fourre Petit Four Flavors
Delectable filled fourre petit four flavors include:
- Lemon Curd – Lemon curd in a choux pastry casing
- Eclair – Choux pastry filled with pastry cream
- Strawberries & Cream – Choux pastry with whipped cream and strawberry preserves
- Chocolate Caramel – Caramel filling in a chocolate shortcrust dough
- Raspberry Cheesecake – Cheesecake filling in a shortcrust shell flavored with raspberry
- Hazelnut Chocolate – Hazelnut shortcrust dough with chocolate hazelnut filling
With so many dough, filling, and flavor choices, fourre petit fours offer limitless delicious possibilities in miniature form.
Conclusion
Petit fours are the perfect tiny treats to end a meal on a sweet note. While they may seem intimidating to make, following the basic method for glace, sec, and fourre petit fours can lead to some lovely results. Approach them with patience and creativity. With some practice, you’ll be making gorgeous petit fours worthy of any French patisserie.
Glace petit fours are little frosted cake squares. Their beauty comes from elaborate icing and decorations. Sec petit fours have a characteristic crunch from nuts and baked dough. Fourre petit fours contain crave-worthy fillings inside their tiny casings. All three traditional types deliver complex textures and flavors in just a small, elegant bite.
Petit fours require time and some skill to execute perfectly. But the effort pays off in the end. Offer an assortment of petit fours at your next dinner party for a sweet surprise. Or gift them as a thoughtful edible present. However you enjoy them, these dainty French pastries are sure to delight.
