As February approaches, I can’t help myself, my mind drifts to thoughts of chocolate. Who am I kidding? I think about chocolate every day! True Confession…I am super grateful for chocolate because it brings me so much joy!
Today I’m excited to share one of my recent concoctions with you, Salted Caramel Brownie Petit Fours, but first a little history!
A petit four is a small bite sized confection that can be sweet or savory. The sweet variety is often referred to as mignardises. I love to serve mignardise when I’m hosting dinner parties and I generally focus on 3 bites, this way I’m sure all of my guests will have a bite they love!
The word Petit Four literally means small oven. In 18th and 19th century France, ovens were hard to heat and slow to cool. The oven would have to be heated to high temperatures to cook bread and as the oven cooled, the residual heat was used to cook small pastries. These small pastries became known as petit fours.
We’ve become accustomed to calling small cakes coated in hardened frosting and decorated with pretty frosting flowers petit fours, the truth is, any bite-sized treat can be referred to as petit fours.
Salted Caramel Brownie Petit Fours are brownies, that have been cut into 1-inch squares and then topped with caramel, crunchy chocolate pearls, and a light dusting of Fleur de sel, and dare I say, they are irresistible!
Salted Caramel Brownie Petit Fours
1 recipe Brownies
1 recipe Carmel Sauce or store bought
¼ cup chocolate pearls
Cut the edges off the brownies and then slice them into 1-inch squares. Place brownie squares on the serving platter. Drizzle the tops of the brownies with caramel. Next dust the tops of the brownies with Fleur de sel and chocolate pearls. Serve at once.
Brownies
½ cup butter
6 ounces dark chocolate, 62% cocoa, chopped
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup extra dark cocoa powder
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Melt butter and dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time mixing until each is incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix just until combined. Add pecans, and chocolate chips if desired, mix, and spread batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 24-28 minutes until the edges are beginning to brown.
Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon bourbon
In a heavy bottom 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat until it is amber in color and beginning to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and then the bourbon and cream, the mixture will foam up. Continue stirring until completely smooth, return to low heat if necessary. Allow the caramel to cool before serving.
An Evening of Pure Chocolate- Thursday, February 9th, 6:30-9:00 With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, our minds naturally drift to Chocolate. But did you ever think about making beautiful chocolate morsels right in your home kitchen? Lorie will lead you on a journey that includes a tidbit of the history of chocolate before diving into this silky, sweet, confection favored by all. LEARN MORE
Croissant Workshop- Friday, February 17th, 11:00-2:30 4 Seats Left- Viennoiserie is the exquisite laminated dough used in classic French Pastries like Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, and Almond Croissants. After studying Viennoiserie dozens of times all over France, Lorie will lead you in hands-on instruction showing you all the tricks of the trade so you can easily reproduce delectable pastries in your home kitchen. Every time she studies this classic French technique new secrets are revealed. LEARN MORE
Au Revoir for now! Lorie