Friday, February 13, 2009

Ghoulish Petits Fours

Ghoulish Petits Fours

Makes about 40.

* White Sheet Cake
* Confectioners' Sugar Icing
* Butter Glaze
* 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, for eyes and mouth


Directions

1. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from cake. Brush off any crumbs with a pastry brush.
2. Fit a pastry bag with a plastic coupler, and top cake rounds with icing in a ghost or hat shape,about 1 inch high.
3. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Set an iced cake round on a fork; hold over bowl of glaze. Using a large spoon, drizzle glaze evenly over cake and icing until completely covered. Transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining rounds. Let set, about 5 minutes.
4. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water; stir chocolate until melted. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag or resealable plastic bag; snip off tip with scissors. Pipe eyes and a mouth onto ghosts.

Butter Glaze

Use with Halloween Petits Fours.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

* 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 5 tablespoons milk


Directions

1. Place sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Immediately pour the melted butter into the bowl with the sugar. Add the milk, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cover bowl, and store at room temperature until ready to use.


Chocolate Glaze

Use this glaze with Halloween Petits Fours.

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

* 6 ounces best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
* 1 cup heavy cream


Directions

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces, and place in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat until just simmering, and pour it over the chocolate. Let mixture stand 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before using.