A petit four (plural: petits fours, also known as mignardises) is a small bite-sized confectionery or savory appetizer. The name is French, petit four (French pronunciation: ​[pə.ti fuʁ]), meaning "small oven".

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2011)

Petit four

An assortment of petits fours
Type	Confectionery
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	France
Main ingredients	Varies by type
Media: Petit four

History and etymology

In 18th and 19th century France, gas ovens did not exist. Large brick (Dutch design) ovens were used, which took a long time to heat up to bake bread, but also to cool down. Bakers used the ovens during the cooling process, taking advantage of their stored heat, for baking pastry. This was called baking à petit four (literally "at small oven"), a lower temperature which allowed pastry baking.[1][2]

Types

Petits fours come in three varieties:

• Glacé ("glazed"), iced or decorated tiny cakes covered in fondant or icing, such as small éclairs, and tartlets
• Salé ("salted"), savory bite-sized appetizers usually served at cocktail parties or buffets
• Sec ("dry"), dainty biscuits, baked meringues, macarons, and puff pastries

In a French patisserie, assorted small desserts are usually called mignardises, while hard, buttery biscuits are called petits fours.

See also

•  Food portal
• List of French desserts

References

Citations

General references

• Garrett, Toba. Professional Cake Decorating. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. p. 226.
• Kingslee, John. A Professional Text to Bakery and Confectionary. New Delhi, India: New Age International, 2006. p. 244.
• Maxfield, Jaynie. Cake Decorating for the First Time. New York: Sterling Pub, 2003. p. 58.
• Rinsky, Glenn, and Laura Halpin Rinsky. The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. p. 214.

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