Spring offers quite the assortment of baby showers, bridal showers, and tea parties – and petit fours are everywhere. Some are gracefully adorned with swirly embellishments, while others, like ours, rely on the pure simplicity of a sunny color and a single bloom. While petit fours aren’t the easiest treat to create, with a little practice they can become an entertaining staple. Here’s our recipe for Lemon Petit Fours, adapted from Real Simple. (Of course, you can always take the easy route by ordering some from Three Tarts.)

 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom of the pan (I used a pastry brush and melted butter), line with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

 

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

 

 

Step 3: Using an electric mixer (or some serious muscle) beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add lemon juice and lemon zest, mix until just combined. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour in 3 additions and the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix.

 

 

Step 4: Pour batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool for another 15 minutes. Place cake in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

 

 

Step 5: Once cooled, cut long strips of cake, and then into cubes. Set aside – it’s now time for the icing!

 

Step 6: Combine confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, water, vanilla and almond extract in a heat proof bowl set over simmering water. At first the mixture will be shaggy and thick, but will eventually become well combined and smooth. Stir in approximately 5 – 10 drops of yellow food coloring until desired color is reached. Let cool about 8 minutes before pouring.

 

 

Step 7: Drizzle icing over each cube of cake, making sure that the sides are covered. Coat only once, then let cool for a minute. If more icing is needed, coat a second time; repeat as needed, letting the icing cool in between each application. Let Petit Fours cool completely before moving or serving.

Prep Time:

About 2 hours, including cooling time

 

Difficulty: Tricky

 

Yields approximately 45 – 60 servings, depending on size

 

 

Equipment Needed:

9 x 13 baking dish

Parchment Paper

Cooling Rack

Ingredients Needed:

1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, well leveled

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Juice from half a lemon

2 – 4 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk

 

Icing:

9 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

½ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Food coloring, in desired colors {we used yellow}

 

Photos By: The lovely photos were taken by Megan Robinson, of Easy Dreamer Photography.