Is there a dessert any cuter that petit fours? These tiny French cakes are often glazed with a sweet layer of icing, and they're refined, delicate little treats that add an element of sophistication to your after-dinner affairs. But they can also be a lot of work. Instead of messing with an oven, complicated cake layers or multiple ingredients, try this simple no-bake recipe with the help of one secret weapon: store-bought pound cake.
"Cheater" Petit Fours
Recipe by Amy Atlas, from Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It
Makes 24 one-inch petit fours
Ingredients
2 loaves store-bought pound cake
2 c. confectioner's sugar, plus more to thicken the glaze if necessary
Sugar pearls
4 Tbsp. water
Directions
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a wire rack over it. Set aside.
Sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl. Add the water and stir until you have smooth icing. (Icing should coat the back of a spoon.) Set aside.
Use a serrated knife to trim the crust from the pound cake on all sides.
Slice the trimmed pound cake into 1-in.-by-1-in. squares. (Use an exaggerated sawing motion to get a smooth cut.)
Transfer the squares to the wire rack. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the icing over each petit four, then patch the exposed parts on the sides with more.
Use a tweezer to place a sugar pearl in the center of each petit four.
Let set in a cool, dry place for at least an hour. Then arrange on a platter and serve. These petit fours will keep, stored in an airtight container, up to two days.
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