Petits Fours

Photo: flickr user Thomas Claveirole

Ingredients

cup Cake flour, or 2 cups all

Purpose flour

1 teaspoon Salt

cup Shortening

1 teaspoon Vanilla

cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

teaspoon Baking powder

4 Egg whites

cup Water

1 teaspoon Vanilla

9 cups Sifted confectioner's sugar

(about 2 lbs)

cup Light corn syrup

teaspoon Almond extract

Preparation

Grease & flour a 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1" jelly roll pan. Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk & vanilla into a large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly.

Beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping occasionally. Add egg whites & beat 2 minutes on high, scraping occasionally. Pour into pan, & bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for 25 minutes. Cool. Cut into small squares, rounds, diamonds, etc. Glaze pieces by placing upside down, a few at a time, on a wire rack over a large bowl or baking dish.

Pour icing over top so entire cake is covered at one time. Icing that drips off can be reheated & reused. Decorate tops with candy toppings or decorator's icing.

Icing: Combine ingredients in top of a double boiler & heat over boiling water just to lukewarm. Remove from heat, leaving icing over hot water to keep it thin. Tint if desired with food coloring. If necessary add a few drops of water to obtain desired consistency.

Pastry: