posted by Kayce 06-23-100 11:06 AM
Petite Fours
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening (for a white cake, use a solid white shortening like Crisco)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 cup sifted cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup (6) egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and shortening thoroughly. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add extracts.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mix alternately with milk, beating after each addition.
Beat egg whites separately until foamy; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until mixture forms soft peaks. Fold into batter. Bake in paper-lined 13 x 9 1/2 x 2 inch pan in moderate oven (350 deg.) about 40 minutes or until done.
Cool cake 5 minutes before removing from pan. When thoroughly cool, cut into 1 1/2 inch or 3 inch squares or diamonds. Or cut in rounds with a biscuit cutter. Line cakes up on a rack with a cookie sheet below (or waxed paper). Spoon icing over cakes, coating evenly. (Keep the icing over hot water.) For pretty glaze, give cake two coats icing. If icing gets too thick, add few drops hot water. With pastry tube, pipe tiny decorations on top.
Icing:
Cook 3 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, and 1 1/2 cups hot water to thin syrup (226 deg. on candy thermometer). Cool to lukewarm (110 deg.). Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in sifted confectioners'
sugar (about 2 1/4 cups) until frosting is of consistency to pour. If you like, tint frosting with a few drops of food coloring.