Chocolate Orange Petits Fours Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9''x9'' cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the whites only of 4 eggs (reserve 2 of the yolks for later). Try to avoid any 'goldfish' (little bits of yolk in the egg whites). If you do get goldfish, it's okay for this recipe, just realize that you won't get peaks when you beat it.
• Add the 1/4 t cream of tartar and 1/4 t salt to the egg whites. Beat until foamy.
• Add the 1/3 c Splenda/sugar to the egg white mixture and beat until stiff peaks form (or until foamy and well-mixed if you had goldfish).
• Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cocoa.
• Lightly fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until cake springs back lightly to touch.
• Once the cake is finished baking, turn out onto parchment lined baking rack to cool.
• When the cake is cool, slice into two layers using a long, sharp knife with a serrated blade.
• To make the simple syrup: combine the 1/2 c water and 1/2 c Splenda/sugar in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of the two cake layers with the simple syrup mixture.
• To make the frosting: cream the 3 T unsalted butter with 1/4 t vanilla. Add the 1 1/2 c powdered sugar and 1/4 c cocoa and blend gently to avoid the powders flying everywhere. CAREFULLY add just enough water to get a thick frosting (caution on this because if you add way too much you'll need to start over with the frosting, it only takes just a little water).
• Spread the frosting over one layer of the cake. Top this layer with the other layer and then frost the top of your layered cake.
• Using your sharp serrated knife again, cut the cake into 36 pieces (5 equal cuts in both directions). To make the pieces perfectly the same size you can measure and insert toothpicks as markers before you cut.
• To make the glaze: In a double boiler, melt the 16 oz bittersweet chocolate, the 1 c unsalted butter, and the 2 T light corn syrup. Stir often until well-blended.
• Set a baking rack over a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Set the layered cake pieces on the backing rack with spaces between each piece to let the chocolate flow over their sides.
• Pour the glaze over the cake pieces, taking care to cover the sides. The excess glaze will pool on the cookie sheet and may be reheated and reused. **For less waste, you can half the amount of glaze and coat in two phases, or have another recipe ready to use the excess glaze in.**.
• Allow the glaze to cool. I relocate the baking rack to the freezer to speed up the process once the pieces are slightly cooled.
• For the white hearts decoration: melt the white chocolate chips in a clean double boiler. Once the petit fours are well-hardened, use a clean paintbrush to paint the white chocolate hearts (or whatever decoration you'd like) on the tops. You may need to go over them more than once to get a nice white color without mixing with the dark brown glaze.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush three 12 1/2-by-9-inch rimmed baking sheets with butter. Line with parchment paper; set aside
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and almond paste, on medium speed, until well combined. Add the butter, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the flour, almond extract, and salt, and beat until just combined.
• Divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, smoothing batter with an offset spatula. Bake until just set, but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Purée apricot jam in a food processor. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn one cake layer out onto lined baking sheet. Spread half of the apricot jam in an even layer over cake. Top with a second cake layer. Spread with remaining jam. Top with final layer. Place a piece of parchment paper over final layer, and top with a second baking sheet. Weigh down with two large cans. Transfer to refrigerator until cold, at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
• Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and a cooling rack; set aside. Remove cake from refrigerator and cut into desired shapes. Place on cooling rack; set aside.
• Place the fondant in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, until pourable. You should have about 4 cups. Tint to desired shade with food coloring. Spoon fondant over cakes, coating evenly. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a clean baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper.
• Place melted chocolate in a small piping bag fitted with a very small plain tip. Pipe decorations onto cakes with chocolate. Let stand until set.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gently fold into batter., Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Cut a thin slice off each side of cake. Cut cake into 1-1/4-in. squares. Place 1/2 in. apart on a rack in a 15x10x1-in. pan., In a large bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Beat on low speed just until blended; beat on high until smooth. Apply glaze evenly over tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat squares. Let dry completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, cream the butter, shortening and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Place 1/2 cup each in two bowls; tint one pink and one green., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #104 tip. Fill with pink frosting; pipe a rosebud on each petit four. Insert #3 round tip into another pastry or plastic bag; fill with green frosting. Pipe a leaf under each rose.