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Petit four
An assortment of petits fours
TypeConfectionery
CourseDessert
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsVaries by type
French assortment of petits fours

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".

History and etymology

In 18th and 19th century France, large brick or stone (Dutch design) ovens were used to bake bread. Because the ovens took a long time to cool down after baking bread, bakers often took advantage of their stored heat for baking pastries. This process was called baking à petit four (literally "at small oven").[1][2]

Types

Petits fours come in three varieties:

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

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Olver, Lynne (June 24, 2012). "history notes—cookies, crackers & biscuits". The Food Timeline. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012.
  2. ^ Jebirashvili, Revaz (3 February 2011). "The History of Petit Fours". Mini Desserts. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

General references


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