Petit four
An assortment of petits fours
TypeConfectionery
CourseDessert
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsVaries by type
French assortment of petits fours

A petit four (plural: petits fours, also known as mignardises) is a small bite-sized confectionery or savory appetizer. The name is French, petit four (French pronunciation: [pə.ti fuʁ]), meaning "small oven".

History and etymology

In 18th and 19th century France, large brick or stone ovens were used to bake bread. Because the ovens took a long time to cool down after baking bread, bakers often took advantage of their stored heat for baking pastries. This process was called baking à petit four (literally "at small oven").[1][2]

Types

Petits fours come in three varieties:

In a French pâtisserie, assorted small desserts are usually called mignardises, while hard, buttery biscuits are called petits fours.

See also

References

  1. Olver, Lynne (June 24, 2012). "history notes—cookies, crackers & biscuits". The Food Timeline. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012.
  2. Jebirashvili, Revaz (3 February 2011). "The History of Petit Fours". Mini Desserts. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

Further reading

  • Garrett, Toba. Professional Cake Decorating. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. p. 226.
  • Kingslee, John. A Professional Text to Bakery and Confectionary. New Delhi, India: New Age International, 2006. p. 244.
  • Maxfield, Jaynie. Cake Decorating for the First Time. New York: Sterling Pub, 2003. p. 58.
  • Rinsky, Glenn, and Laura Halpin Rinsky. The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. p. 214.


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