PETIT 1 RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Set aside.
• Beat sugar and butter in another bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add 1 egg white at a time, beating well after each addition. Add almond flavoring; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed after each addition just until mixed.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling racks 10 minutes. Loosen edge of cake by running knife around inside edge. Carefully remove cake from pan; cool completely.
• Trim edges from cake; cut cake into 48 (1 1/2-inch square) pieces.
• Combine sugar, cream of tartar and water in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 12-14 minutes or until mixture comes to a full boil. Cover; boil 3 minutes. Uncover; continue cooking 15-20 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 228°F to 234°F, or small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a 2-inch soft thread. Remove from heat; cool to 110°F (about 1 hour) or until bottom of pan is slightly warm to touch. (Do not stir.) Stir in powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract and food color, if desired.
• Place cooling rack over waxed paper. Place 1 cake piece on fork; drizzle icing over top and sides of cake, making sure each side is covered. Place onto rack; let stand until icing is set. (If icing becomes too thick, reheat over low heat 2-3 minutes or until thin consistency and easy to drizzle.)
• Garnish each petit four with candy flowers or frosting flowers, if desired.

Steps:

• Break the chocolate and butter into small pieces, melt them on the microwave under"defrost" for about two minutes, Don't let it stand too long on the microwave to avoid burning the chocolate.
• With a spoon mix the melted chocolate and butter until smooth.
• Reserve.
• On a separate bowl, mix the eggs, egg's yolks and sugar.
• Beat the mixture on a mixer until almost doubled its size and has a firm consistency.
• Get the melted chocolate and butter mixture and start pouring it in small bits into the bowl with the beaten eggs and keeping beating it gentle and slowly, until it forms one smooth uniform mixture.
• While you still beating the mixture (in a low speed), sprinkles the flour on it and stop the beating after the flour gets incorporated in the mixture.
• turn off the mixer and stir in the cointreau.
• Reserve.
• Get the muffin baking sheet with 6/8 holes, rub a little bit of butter and sprinkle flour on the sides of each hole, It will help to get the mini cake out of the mold later(use induvidual muffins sheets, it gives a little bit of more work to do but it is much easier to take the muffin out of the mold).
• Pour the mixture into the mold almost to the top(leave 1cm or so, just for precaution of spelling the dough.
• Pre-heat the oven for about 15 minutes.(low temperature, around 180C.
• On the low heat(180c) put the muffin sheet for about 5 minutes, 7 on the most.(Keep trying to find out the perfect timing that works for you)
• After taking the baking sheet out of the oven let it rest of 2 to 3 minutes and then turn it upside down on a plate (The mini cakes should be hard on the outside enough to hold its original shape and all creamy and melted inside)Get each little cake with caution for not breaking them and put on individual plates.
• Put a ball of vanilla ice-cream on the side, Serve while it is hot!
• P.S.when you spoon the mini cake it will open and a rich creamy filling will pour out.