Petit Fours-Lemon Berry: France #129

Lemon Berry Petit Fours: France #129

A petit four is a small bite sized confectionery appetizer or dessert.  The name means small oven in French. Delicate and sweet, these lemon berry petit fours are bite-size mini cakes  perfect for parties and tea time.  Topped with a simple white chocolate garnish, this petit four recipe is easy.
Makes 48

Ingredients:      

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature 
•  2c. sugar
• 1/3 c. sour cream, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 3 c. cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt 
• 3 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c. raspberry jam                                        
• 1/4 c. lemon curd

Vanilla Buttercream Filling:

• 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 c. confectioners' sugar
• 2 T. heavy cream or whole milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

White Chocolate topping:

• 2- 4 oz bars white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp. canola, or vegetable oil
• optional garnish: mint leaves, edible flowers, berries or sprinkles

1. Cake: Preheat oven 325F. Grease a 12X17 inch sheet cake pan.  Line with parchment paper.
2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until completely smooth and combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add the sour cream and vanilla.  Beat on high until combined and creamy.
6. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
7. On low speed, beat the eggs in 1 at a time allowing each to fully mix in before adding the next.  Careful not to over mix after the eggs have been added.  
8. Once the 6th egg is combined, stop the mixer and add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on medium speed just until combined.
9. Beat in the lemon juice.  try not to over mix.  Make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.  The batter will be thick and creamy.
10. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.  Tap the pan on the counter once or twice to bring up any air bubbles.
11. Bake 26-30 minutes.  Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
12. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool inside the pan.  
13. Once cool invert the cake onto a cutting board.  With a sharp knife slice cake in half horizontally.Then cut each long rectangle into 3 smaller rectangles.  You'll now have 6 rectangles. Slice each rectangle in half horizontally. You should now have 12 thin rectangles.
    
    
    
14. Vanilla Buttercream Filling: In a mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
15. Add confectioners' sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.  Add up to 1/4 c. more confectioners's sugar if frosting is too thin or another tablespoon of cream if too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
16. Fillings:  With a sharp knife, trim the ends off the rectangles that touched the pan.
17. Spread vanilla buttercream in a thick even layer on 4 rectangles.
18. Spread both lemon curd and raspberry jam on 4 rectangles. (The remaining 4 rectangles are plain, because they are the tops.)  Go a little lighter on the raspberry jam and lemon curd compared to the vanilla buttercream.  If there's too much, it creates a big mess when cutting the petit fours.
19. Place the lemon curd/raspberry jam rectangles on top of the vanilla butter cream rectangles.
20. Layer the plain rectangle on top.
21. Loosely cover each and chill for at least 2 hours.  They must chill before cutting into petit fours.
22. Once cold, slice each into 12 little squares.  Arrange on a baking sheet and chill while melting the white chocolate.
23. Melt white chocolate and il together in a double boiler, stirring until smooth and melted.  If it seems too thick, add another drop of oil.  Spoon or drizzle over petit fours.
24. Top with garnish.
25. Cover and store petit fours in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Results: Easy to make, just time consuming and a bit messy. I made 1/2 the recipe and had 16 petit fours, which as plenty. We liked them better after they were refrigerated. I made no other adaptations. 
Bottom Line: Delicious! A huge success. Keeper!
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