Almond Petits Fours

Ingredients

Cake

• 6 ounces almond paste
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sifted Swans Down® Cake Flour
• 2 cups apricot jam, warmed and strained

Fondant Icing

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 10 cups confectioners sugar
• Food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour a half sheet pan.
2. Make Cake: Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the almond paste until smooth. Add 1/3 of the butter at a time and cream until smooth. (The mixture may look broken, but it will come together later; just make sure there are no lumps.) Add confectioners’ sugar and mix on medium speed until combined. Add salt and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add 1/3 of the whisked eggs at a time, waiting for each addition to be incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add flour and mix until incorporated.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool completely in the pan.
4. Make Fondant Icing: Place the water, corn syrup, almond extract and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream (thin enough to pour and thick enough to coat). Whisk in food coloring, if desired.
5. Assemble Petits Fours: Invert the cooled cake out onto parchment paper so the flat bottom becomes the top. Slice the cake into thirds parallel with a short side of the cake. Spread 1/3 of the strained apricot jam over 1 piece; top it with the second layer of cake and spread another 1/3 of the jam on top. Repeat with the third layer. Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove cake from freezer and trim edges. Using a large knife, cut 1 1/2-inch strips down the length of the cake. Turn the cake and cut perpendicular 1 1/2-inch strips along the short length, creating 1 1/2-inch squares. Place the squares onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
7. Place the Fondant Icing into a pourable container and pour over each petit four, making sure to completely cover it. Let sit until fondant sets. Using a small offset spatula, lift each petit four onto a serving plate or into a small cupcake liner and decorate as desired.