The History of Petit Fours

       Petit four, which simply means "small oven," is the precise name for those miniature cakes that you find on trays at parties and on the table at elegant dinners. These mini-pastries are made out of cream and fruits. The ability of chefs to create new and special kinds of petit fours is boundless. Petit fours can be served as appetizers and as a full meal, depending on the circumstance.

       If you are unsure why appetizers would be called little ovens, here is the answer for you. In 19^th century France, there were no gas ovens. The breadmaker’s oven was the single type of oven during that time. It was a huge cabin made out of stone, underneath which one would lit a fire. These types of ovens took a long time to get going, became really hot for some time, and then took a long time to die. In addition, it didn't really have a knob one could turn to modify the heat. In fact, it only had two settings. The first setting was the grand four, big oven, where the fire was at its strongest. This setting was used when the roasts, the boars, the pigs, the beef ribs, the platters of vegetables and potatoes were placed in to bake. The second setting was the petit four, when the fire started to die out and the heat to weaken. This setting was used when one could bake individual pastries and bite-size appetizers to serve with tea. This is how these novelty foods were named petit fours, describing the way they were prepared.

About the author:
Revaz Jebirashvili owns Petite Desserts, an online bakery store which specializes in miniature pastries infused with gourmet flavors with delicate and unique design. To find out more about Petit Fours visit us at: http//www.petite-desserts.com