Raspberry Almond Petit Fours

ByDavid February 4, 2015April 28, 2021

These Raspberry Almond Petit Fours feature layers of decadent almond cake, silky French buttercream and raspberry jam. They’re the perfect one-bite sweet treat for your next big party!

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So I grew up in a traditional Southern kitchen (I’ve mentioned that here before), and I credit that experience for why I love to bake. My Mom was always in the kitchen whipping up some delicious dessert or snack. Looking back, I was pretty darned lucky.

But here’s the thing. The flip-side of growing up in a Southern kitchen is all of the parties. My mother is the ultimate hostess, and we were always hosting some sort of party or get-together. We had gingerbread house decorating parties for the kids. We had Golden Girls tea parties for the little old ladies in the neighborhood. We had garden parties during the summer. Are you catching my drift here? All of these parties meant a lot of food! My sister was clearly paying attention as a kid because she has grown into the consummate Southern hostess herself. As for me, I took an interest in the food side (both making and eating), and I still really enjoy making party-style food. (Looking back, it’s no surprise at all that I started a food blog.)

Petit fours. This classic French dessert always made an appearance at parties when I was growing up. They’re the perfect party food. They’re bite-sized, and they’re incredibly tasty. (Trust me, I should know. As a kid, I named myself the official sampler of the petit fours for every party. You know, just to make sure they were good enough to serve to company.) Technically, petit fours can be any bite-sized dessert. However, in the U.S. (or at least in the Southern part of the U.S.), a petit four almost always refers to a mini-dessert consisting of layers of almond cake and jam. The entire bite is then covered in thin fondant. Petit fours are sweet. And they’re often too pretty to eat. Err, almost too pretty to eat.

These Raspberry Almond Petit Fours are a classic party food. From bridal showers to baby showers and everything in between, you can always count on petit fours making an appearance. If you like to bake, then these bad boys are totally fun to make at home. But here’s the thing, they take time to make. They’re not exactly a dessert you can throw together in the 30 minutes before your guests show up. (After all, there’s a reason why petit fours are so darned expensive when you purchase them in bakeries!) Don’t let that discourage you, though. These Raspberry Almond Petit Fours are totally doable at home. And they’d be totally impressive to serve at your next party!

When it comes to parties, can I just say how much I dig Wilton Armetale serveware? We love to entertain in our house, and I totally credit that to my mother’s love for throwing parties. This serveware not only looks great for serving, but it’s also freezer, oven and stove safe. Think about that for a minute. That means you can heat up the serveware in the oven for serving hot appetizers. Or you can chill it in the freezer for serving cold appetizers. That’s some serious versatility! I’m sure my wife, the metallurgist/alchemist, could tell you all sorts of interesting facts about the metal itself. As for me, I’ll stick to telling you that the serveware looks awesome. And I’ll stick to giving you some delicious recipes for your next party.

These Raspberry Almond Petit Fours are tasty as heck. However, since making petit fours is a bit more involved, I’ve collected a few tips here that might help:

Use the flattest baking sheet you can find. If you’re anything like me, you probably use your baking sheets a lot. And if you’re anything like me, I bet some of your baking sheets have become a bit warped over time. That’s cool for some recipes, but not petit fours. Make sure to use your flattest pan when baking the almond cake. Otherwise, you might end with petit fours that look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Spread the frosting and jam as smoothly as possible. Similar to the first tip about using a flat pan, you want to make sure that those layers of frosting and jam are smooth and level. Here’s a quick tip for creating smooth layers of frosting. Get a tall glass of very hot water. Dip an offset spatula into the water for a few seconds, and then use that hot spatula to smooth the frosting. Dip and repeat as necessary. It works like a charm!

After baking, slice off the edges of the cake. The edges of the almond cake will get a little more browned and crispy than the center. Once you’ve assembled the cake with the buttercream and jam layers, slice those hard edges off. I’m only talking like 1/4″ here. This will ensure that you have nice smooth edges for your petit fours. It also ensures that you get to sample those scraps along the way.

Dip the petit fours into the icing. Trust me on this one. After many different attempts, I’ve found that the easiest way to coat the petit fours in the icing is to simply stick them onto the end of a fork and then dip them into the warm icing. Since the icing cools quickly, I keep it in the saucepan over low heat. Then I just tilt the pan to one side, dip the petit four and then let it drip dry for a couple of seconds. Transfer the petit four from the cake to a plate and repeat.

Practice makes perfect. Also, don’t rush. Finally, like anything, petit fours take a bit of practice. They’re incredibly fun to make…not to mention incredibly tasty, too. However, I wouldn’t recommend making them for the first time right before you host a party with 150 of your closest friends. Give yourself a trial run at these first. You’ll pick up some tricks along the way (feel free to share and I’ll add your tips here). I’m pretty sure your family and friends won’t mind sampling some wonky looking petit fours while you perfect your skills!

Speaking of 150 of your closest friends, I just want to point out that Wilton Armetale serveware is great for gifts. A nice big serving tray like I used for these petit fours would make an excellent wedding or bridal shower gift. But check out the various collections of serveware for other ideas.

True story: I had no idea what to get my Dad for Christmas this past year. He lives in Texas, so I ordered the Texas Bread Tray for him. He loved it. I’m thinking the whole Texas collection could be a great source for future gift ideas for him. Do you have someone who is nearly impossible to find gifts for? Check out the Wilton Armetale website for some ideas! (And don’t forget the collegiate serveware if that person happens to be a college sports fan.)