Derick’s Tiffany Box Petit Four

Recipe by: Derick
See more of Derick’s creations: instagram.com/foodie.south.africa

Derick's Tiffany Box Petit Four

Ingredients:

250 g butter (at room temperature), plus extra for greasing
250 g flour plus extra for dusting
1,5 tsp Royal Baking Powder
250 g caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract.
1 Cup icing sugar
0.5 Cup butter
A dash of milk or cream.
0.5 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 tsp Amaretto Liquore
50 g Roasted Hazelnuts
0.5 cup Sugar and a dash of water
400g White Chocolate
Teal colored oil based food coloring or powder

Method:

The Sponge

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper circles, then dust lightly with flour.
Beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one by one, making sure you beat each one in well before you add the next.
Add 1 tsp vanilla
Sift all the dry ingredients and mix into the egg mixture until just combined.
Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins. Spread it out well with a spatula and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden, risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tins, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

The Hazelnut Praline Center

Make a dark caramel over medium heat with the sugar and a dash of water
Pour the caramel out over a baking sheet and let it cool and set hard.
Carefully toast the hazelnuts in a pot or pan for about 4 – 5min
In a clean kitchen towel, remove the skins of the hazelnuts by vigorously rubbing them against the cloth.
In a food processor, blitz the roasted hazelnuts till a fine meal is achieved.
Break the caramel into shards and blitz with the hazelnut meal
A paste should form, but if necessary, add a few drops of vegetable oil and process till your praleen is done.
Mix a small amount of cream cheese into the paste, just enough to be able to form small truffle balls, shape enough truffles for your cakes and allow to set in the freezer

Building the Petit Fours:

Deconstruct and crum the cooled vanilla sponge cake with a fork.
Make a flavoured Vanilla buttercream icing – I used a bit of Amaretto but it’s up to you.
Mix the butter cream icing into the crumbled vanilla sponge until a shapeable dough is formed
Shape the dough into your choice of mold. A square or box shape is easier to decorate.
Use plastic wrap to protect the bottom, fill the mold half way and insert a praline truffle. fill the rest and allow to set completely in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm.

Decorate:

Melt the white chocolate on a double boiler and allow to temper
Add the food coloring little at a time and mix through till the correct shade of Tiffany blue is achieved. It is wise to do a test sample first before coloring the whole batch of chocolate.
Remove the molds from the fridge and carefully eject the cake onto a cooling rack.
Using a table spoon, scoop the colored chocolate over the cake and allow it to run down and completely cover the cake – a second coating might be necessary.
Get the covered cakes back into the fridge to set.65 using gumpaste model the ribbon – use tin foil or tissue paper to support the modeling in place until the gumpaste has set and dried.
Make the ribbons and attach to the cake while still malleable. Use sugar glue to fix the modeled ribbon on the top.
Set on a plate and serve with tea.