jimtrue.com : school : CUL249 : Week 9 - Petits Fours

Posted by Jim True on March 24, 2010 9:17 PM. Last Updated March 24, 2010 9:17 PM

Disclaimer for all material noted here is at the bottom of this web page.

Week 9 - Petits Fours

Tart

1. Sweet Tart Dough (Pate Sucree)
• Rich, nonflaky dough used for sweet tart shells
• Sturdier than flaky or mealy
• yolks and fat is blended throroughly
• Prevents air pockets from forming in the baked dough
• Fat coats flour, less gluten formed, tender and rich flavor
2. Shortbread Dough (Pate Sable)
• Has a richer percentage of fat than Sweet Tart Dough

Egg Foam

• Those that create a structure that relies primarily on whipped eggs
1. Genoise
2. Angel Food
3. Chiffon
4. Spongecakes
1. Ladyfingers
2. Vanilla sponge Cake
3. Joconde
• It's used becuase it bakes into a moist, flexible cake
• If underbaked, it will stick to the baking mat
• If overbaked, it will dry out

French Buttercream

• AKA: Mousseline Buttercream
• A Cake icing or filling made with egg yolks into which a hot sugar syrup (240ºF) is beaten, before butter and flavorings are added
• An Italian Meringue is folded in for additional body and lightness
• Has a rich flavor and smooth texture

Petit fours

• AKA: Friandies or Miniature Pastries
• Small enough to be consumed in one or two small bites
• Served at afternoon teas, bridal showers and traditional ladies' luncheons
• Uniformity in size and shape, and consistency of finishing details count a great deal for the eye appeal of petit fours
• No more than 1.5" to 2" in length
• Should have a variety of textures and flavors
• Be visually attractive
• Complement whatever foods precede or accompany them without duplicating their flavors
• Dry (Sec): Tulipe cookies, checkerboard cookies, nut meringues, small butter cookies and puff pastry products made without a cream filling. Cookies may also be dipped in chocolate; Cherry Almond Florentines or Langue de Chat
• Fresh (Frais): Are moist miniatures that may contain fruit and fillings such as buttercream, citrus curd, ganache or various mousses. Ex. Tartlets or Barquettes filledwith Pastry Cream and topped with fresh berries, grapes or apricot halves
• Iced (Glace): are small cakes (L'Opera), cookies or biscuits iced with fondant or glaze. Should not exceed 1" in height. After cutting, the petit four is usually coated with heated tinted fondant, sealing in the moisture
• Almond: Small cookies made from raw almond paste or almond flour such as macaroons and other piped cookies. Ex Almond Crescent and Almond Macaroons
• Glazed Fruit: Coated with Caramel or Sugar Syrup cooked to the hard crack stage - Grapes, Strawberries, Blackberries, Pineapple Pieces and Citrus segments

Fondant

• A sweet thick opaque sugar paste commonly used for glazing pastries such as napoleans, petit fours and other pastries as well as some cakes
• Add a little water or simple syrup to thin the sugar, warm to 100ºF
• If the fondant is overheated, it will lose its shine and will dry with an uneven appearance
• Tint after melting, or color will become darker

Disclaimer: These are MY notes taken from classroom lectures while I'm in the classroom. While I'm perfectly happy to share my notes with my classmates and I know I take very good notes, you should still make every effort to attend the class and TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES. I will not transcribe everything the instructor says in the classroom, and I will NEVER post pre-exam reviews. My notes will not replace the value of actually attending class and taking your own class notes.I also cannot attest to their accuracy, other than they are what was provided in the lecture; you should not reference my notes as "expert opionion" by any means, and if you notice an error or omission, please do me the favor of e-mailing me with the correction and I will re-post my notes. End of Disclaimer.