Golden Pumpkin Petits Fours

Before November comes to a close, I thought I’d share just one more pumpkin creation with you. I know you’ve been hit with a host of pumpkin everything over the last month, but if you’re a Disney fan or simply have some leftover pumpkin in the fridge, this recipe is for you!Golden Pumpkin Petits Fours are ideal for fans of the Disney classic, Cinderella. If you’re planning a princess-themed tea party for the little ones, nothing could be more magical and fairytale inspired. I had the pleasure of visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco this past weekend. Brilliant shades of paint, sketches painstakingly drawn in detail–it was fascinating to see the richness of creativity at every turn. One of my favorites was this 1950 concept painting by the artistic genius, Mary Blair, simply named CinderellaAs an avid Disney fan, I have a large collection of Disney teapots. My most recent acquisition is this blue and white beauty with an image of Cinderella’s castle on it. The highlight of each cake bite is a pumpkin icing decoration that’s been sprayed with edible gold spray. These 3D royal icing pieces are easy to find this time of year, so stock up on them while you can. Any basic pumpkin bread loaf will work beautifully here. You can also take a standard pumpkin bread recipe and bake it in a 9″ pan instead of a loaf pan. With the use of some wooden dowels from the craft store and a long serrated knife, you can create the most even cake layers for making tidy-looking petits fours.
Instead of using fondant to coat these bites, I prefer white chocolate. It’s really important to thin the chocolate with oil so that it glides evenly over and off the cakes. We want the thinnest coating layer here–too thick of a glaze and the confections become way too hefty and sweet.

Glass or vintage tablewares make a nice accent to these magical looking bites, as do some shiny gold sprinkles. My favorite way to enjoy these Golden Pumpkin Petit Fours is with an elegant cup of lightly brewed English Breakfast or Earl Grey. This classic pairing of tea and cake make for a storybook tea time, one worth repeating any season of the year!
Golden Pumpkin Petits Fours

Makes 16 petits fours.

Ingredients:

{Cake}- your favorite pumpkin bread or tea cake loaf recipe or a pre-made loaf

{Cream Cheese Frosting}

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temp

1 stick butter, at room temp

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

{Coating}

white chocolate

vegetable or almond oil

{Garnishes}

pumpkin icing decorations

edible gold spray

gold sprinkles

Equipment:

9″ square baking pan, sprayed with nonstick spray

plastic wrap

2-3/8″ wood square dowels

flat spatula

round cookie cutter

double boiler

fork and ladle, as dipping tools

Directions:

1. Bake the Cake. Bake the bread in the 9″ square pan instead of a loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Remove the loaf from the pan, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer until you are ready to make the petits fours.

2. Make the Filling. Combine all the Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients together thoroughly. Set this aside.

3. Assemble the Cake. Remove the cake from the freezer and place on a flat surface for cutting. Place dowels on 2 opposite sides of the cake (on the flat surface), then use them as a guide for a serrated knife to cut out 2 even horizontal layers of the cake. Set the uneven top most layer aside for snacking on. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the bottom layer of cake. Place the top layer over that. Use a round cutter to cut out petits fours rounds. You should be able to get 16-20 from a 9″ cake.

4. Glaze the Petits Fours. On the top of a double boiler, melt the white chocolate low and slow. Add oil until you get a dippable consistency like that of warmed honey. You may need to add up to 3 or 4 Tbsp of oil so that the chocolate isn’t too thick. Place a cake round on a fork and hold it in one hand, then use your free hand to ladle some melted chocolate directly atop it. Slightly shake the coated cake bite to allow the excess chocolate to drip off, then park the petit four on a sheet of parchment to dry.

5. Decorate & Serve! Attach a golden pumpkin or sprinkles atop the petits fours while the chocolate is semi-set. Let dry completely before serving.

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