Crystallized Lilac Petits Fours
Crystallized Lilac Petits Fours
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar
- 1 cup (250 ml) ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) amaretto liqueur
- 4 eggs
- 1 package 200 g almond paste
- Icing sugar, for rolling
- 6 cups (1.5 litres) icing sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk, approximately
- 6 drops red food coloring, approximately
- 4 drops blue food coloring
Instructions
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Line a 20-cm (8-inch) square pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over two sides. Butter the other two sides.
- In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the ground almonds and amaretto and stir to blend. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool. Unmould onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
- On a work surface dusted with icing sugar, roll the almond paste into a square about 1-cm (1/2-inch) larger than the cake. With a brush, remove any excess sugar. Cover the top of the cooled cake with the almond paste.
- With a sharp knife, cut around the cake to even out the almond paste. Cut the cake into 16 squares.
- Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Crystallized Lilac Petits Fours