Strawberry and Lemon Petit Fours

When I first saw Petit Fours on The Great British Baking Show I thought to myself, there is no way I could ever make those. There are too many steps and just plain too difficult.

But, little did I know, I could make cute little simple ones that are easy, achievable, just as adorable, delicious, and something all of us could do.

So, grab your spatula, head into the kitchen, and make these adorable little things, because once you share them with your friends, they will think you are the master of baking and respect you forever and ever ;)

Makes: 24-32 (depending on what size you want)

Takes: 7-8 hours (this is mostly cooling times)

Difficulty: 2 out of 5 (because it takes patience)

Prep:

Place a piece of parchment paper into a 5 inch by 8 inch baking dish so that it hangs over the two long sides and then heavily butter and flour the dish and parchment paper.

Set aside until needed and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C) Ingredients:

Strawberry Puree

500 grams (1 Ib) Fresh Strawberries

Strawberry Jam

2/3 cup Strawberry Puree

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoons granulates sugar

1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Lemon Curd

**3 small egg yolks or 2 extra large egg yolks (keep the whites for the cake)

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

small pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Strawberry Cake

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

**The egg whites left over from the lemon curd (3 small egg whites or 2 extra large egg whites)

2 heaping tablespoons greek yogurt

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup strawberry puree

Optional: 2-4 drops food coloring

Glaze

1/3 cup powdered sugar (possibly more)

2 tablespoons milk (possibly more)

Optional: decorations

Instructions:

Step 1 - Make the Strawberry Puree

Slice your 250 grams strawberries into pieces and place them into a blender or into a food processor.

Blend them until completely smooth.

Once smooth, transfer the strawberries to a small pot and place them on low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until it has reduced slightly, thickened, and have reached a brighter red color.

Once thickened, transfer the strawberry puree to a bowl, cover with cling wrap, and set aside until cooled.

Step 2 - Start the Cake by Mixing Your Dried Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine your 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and then mix it all together and set aside until needed.

Step 3 - Whip the Butter and Sugar

In a large bowl, whip the 6 tablespoons of butter until smooth, fluffy, and light - about 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup of sugar and mix until fluffy - about another 2-3 minutes.

Step 4- Add the Egg Whites

Add the 2 large (or 3 small) egg whites to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until the batter becomes light and airy.

(Place the egg yolks to the side until needed)

Step 5 - Add the Vanilla and Yogurt

To the liquid batter, add the 2 heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

And mix until combined.

Step 6 - Fold in Dry Ingredients

In two batches, fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula.

Batch 1:

The dry ingredients don't need to be completely folded in at this moment.

Batch 2:

But do make sure, after the second batch, all the dry ingredients have been folded in completely.

Once all the dry ingredients have been folded in, it will seem a little dry, that is alright.

Step 7 - Add the Milk

At this time, we are going to fold in the 2 tablespoons of milk to loosen the batter up slightly.

Step 8 - Mix in the Strawberry Puree

Once the strawberry puree has come to room temperature, add 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree to the cake batter.

Then fold the strawberry puree completely into the batter.

Step 9 - Fill the Baking Dish and Bake!

Once the puree has been well incorporated, spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish.

And then toss it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, set aside to rest and cool completely.

Step 10 - Start the Strawberry Filling

In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1 1/2 teaspoons water until smooth.

In a small pot, place 2/3 cup of the Strawberry Puree, the corn starch mixture, 1 tablespoon of granulates sugar, and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and place on low heat.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and let is simmer for about 5-8 minutes, after this time, the color will be lighter.

Transfer the jam to a bowl to cool completely before using and make sure to cover with a piece of cling wrap pressing it against the jam to prevent a film forming.

Step 11 - Make Lemon Custard

In a double boiler, (or a small pot with water and a bowl over top) add the egg yolks you kept aside from the cake, 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

(Ignore how many eggs I have, all my eggs ended up having double yolks...)

Now, place these ingredients over the double boiler (this needs to be on low heat) and whisk hard and constantly until you create a smooth cream.

This could take some time (about 8-10 minutes), so maybe find a partner to switch when you need a break.

One stiffened and thick, transfer the custard to a shallow bowl to cool completely.

Place a piece of cling wrap over top the custard (making sure to press it against the top to prevent a film from forming) and set aside until completely cooled.

Step 12 - Cutting up the Cake

Let your cake, custard, and jam cool completely before continuing.

When cooled, first, slice off each side of the cake, so that your cake is a perfect rectangle.

Then, cut the cake horizontally into three pieces, so that you have a top, middle, and bottom.

Step 13 - Assembly

Before assembly, your custard and jam needs to be completely cooled.

Layer 1:

Once cooled, spoon the lemon custard on the bottom layer. Do Not use all of the custard. Start with a little and then smooth it out with a butter knife or off set spatula until you have a thin layer of lemon custard on 1 layer.

Layer 2:

Place the middle cake layer on top of the lemon custard layer, making sure you place it perfectly on top, so it does not hang over the any edges.

Then, just like the custard, spoon a small amount of jam on top of the cake and spread it around until completely covered. Keep the layers thin.

Layer 3:

Place the top cake on top of the strawberry jam, making sure it does not hang off on any of the sides.

Step 14 - Creating the Petit Fours

Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into the size of petit fours you desire (normally, they are no bigger than 2 bites, but you do you).

If you notice that the jam or custard is oozing out the sides, use a small spoon or something to clean it up.

Step 15 - Glaze

Transfer the petit fours to a cooling rack and I recommend that you place a piece or parchment paper or paper towels underneath to help with clean up after glazing the petit fours.

In a small bowl, mix the together the 1/3 cup powdered sugar and the 2 tablespoons of milk. If the glaze seems to thin, add more powdered sugar (very little at a time). However, is the glaze seems too thick, add milk (very little at a time).

Once you are happy with you mixture, spoon the glaze over top the petit fours. You can keep it just on top, have the glaze drip down the sides, or try to cover the entire thing. For me, I recommend keeping it on top or dripping down the sides to see the beautiful layers.

If you want any decorations on top, add them on at this time! Step 16 - Enjoy! Once the glaze on these have hardened, they are ready to be eaten! If you can't finish them all on one day, do place them in a covered container for up to 5 days.