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A petit four (plural: petits fours, also known as mignardises) is a small bite-sized
confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categori ...
or
savory Savory or Savoury may refer to: Common usage * Herbs of the genus '' Satureja'', particularly: ** Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis''), an annual herb, used to flavor food ** Winter savory (''Satureja montana''), a perennial herb, also used t ...
appetizer. The name is French, ''petit four'' (), meaning "small oven".


History and etymology

In 18th and 19th century France, gas ovens did not exist. Large brick (Dutch design) ovens were used, which took a long time to heat up to bake bread, but also to cool down. Bakers used the ovens during the cooling process, taking advantage of their stored heat, for baking pastry. This was called baking ''à petit four'' (literally "at small oven"), a lower temperature which allowed pastry baking.


Types

Petits fours come in three varieties: * ''Glacé'' ("glazed"), iced or decorated tiny cakes covered in fondant or icing, such as small éclairs, and tartlets * ''Salé'' ("salted"), savory bite-sized
appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'œuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the ...
s usually served at cocktail parties or
buffet A buffet can be either a sideboard (a flat-topped piece of furniture with cupboards and drawers, used for storing crockery, glasses, and table linen) or a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners serve ...
s * ''Sec'' ("dry"), dainty
biscuits A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also b ...
, baked
meringue Meringue (, ; ) is a type of dessert or candy, often associated with Swiss, French, Polish and Italian cuisines, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream ...
s,
macaron A macaron ( , ) or French macaroon ( ) is a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food colouring. The macaron is traditionally held to have been introduced in France by th ...
s, and puff pastries In a French patisserie, assorted small
dessert Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and most parts ...
s are usually called ''mignardises'', while hard, buttery biscuits are called petits fours.


See also

* *
List of French desserts This is a list of desserts from the French cuisine. In France, a chef who prepares desserts and pastries is called a pâtissier, who is part of a kitchen hierarchy termed '' brigade de cuisine'' (kitchen staff). French desserts * * * * ...


References


Citations


General references

* 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. French pastries French cakes {{France-dessert-stub