how to makepetit fours savor — guide to food & dining on the azalea coast
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SUZANNE BONEY COLEMAN OF SIMPLY THE BEST CAKES BAKES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
ALL OF HER SIGNATURE POUND CAKE FLAVORS — LEMON-BLUEBERRY, ALMOND-PEACH
AND CARAMEL — HAVE BEEN ADAPTED INTO PETIT FOURS.
Starting with a pound cake baked in a sheet
pan, Anna Echols suggests weighing down the
cake with books or other cake pans; but Coleman
freezes the cake once it comes out of the oven so
that it’s easier to cut and less crumbly. B Once
frozen, Boney takes the cake out of the pan and
then measures it with a ruler to ensure that all
of the squares will be even. She says this helps
her avoid trimming uneven cake layers later.
C Coleman cuts the pound cake using a knife
or cookie cutter to get the desired shape for the
petit four. D She then slices the cake layers in
half. E Then she spreads raspberry, strawberry
or chocolate filling onto the cake. Putting the
cake pieces back together, she then freezes the
cake squares again. While the cakes are chilling
she makes the sugar glaze used to coat the petit
fours. F Once she takes the cakes out of the
freezer she dips them one by one into the glaze
using a slotted spoon so the excess will drip
back into the bowl. G Once a cake has been
dipped into the glaze, she puts it onto a wire
cooling rack so the glaze can dry and excess can
drip off from the bottom. H Coleman pipes
decorative frosting around the borders and edges
of her bite-sized treats choosing colors based on
the season or occasion. Though a labor-intensive
task, Coleman advises not to give up even when
a petit four is not looking its best. I Coleman
uses fondant icing or other decorations to add
the final touches to the petit fours. J When
entertaining, Coleman often serves the petit
fours on a delicate cake plate or china plate.
“Sometimes I think a cake goes through
stages and very often it goes through an ugly
duckling stage. It looks so awful, I think, ‘this
cake is never going to turn out right,’ ’’ Coleman
says. “Then I get inspired and start piping and
it turns out beautifully.”
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