EIGHT EASY STEPS TO PERFECT PETITES FOURS

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 lb.)
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

FOR BRUSHING ON CAKES:
1/4 cup liqueur of your choice
1/2 cup orange marmalade

FOR GLAZE:
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons white corn syrup
6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond or orange extract
Few drops of food coloring, if desired
(for chocolate icing, add 2 to 3 ounces melted chocolate to warm icing)
For decoration:
Melted chocolate

FIRST, MAKE THE SPONGE CAKE:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line a 10- by 15-inch baking sheet with raised sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In an electric mixer, blend granulated sugar with butter until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Add sifted cake flour slowly until incorporated. Be sure to sift the flour; sifted flour has a lower density and will measure differently. Pour mixture into baking sheet and spread evenly.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until cake is not longer sticky. Let cake cool.

With a sharp knife, cut cake (still in the pan) into three equal parts crosswise.

With a pastry brush, brush some of the liqueur over middle section of cake. Don’t saturate. Then spread a thin layer of marmalade with an offset spatula on same section. If you spread too much, the layers will slip one they are assembled.

Pick up one third of the cake ( a non-coated portion), peel away any clinging parchment and place over middle section. Gently press layers together. Brush a little more of the liqueur over top layer, then spread with a thin layer of marmalade.

Pick up the remaining section of cake, remove parchment and place over first two layers. Pressing lightly. Place pan in freezer for 1/2 hour to make cutting easier.

With a sharp knife, cut cake evenly into equal pieces, about 1 inch square, and separate slightly in the pan, or transfer to a wire rack. Cakes can be frozen-wrapped tightly-at this point. Thaw before icing. Do not freeze after icing.

FOR GLAZE:
Combine water and corn syrup. Stir into powdered sugar in a saucepan set over low heat. Dissolve completely. Remove from heat and add extract and food coloring if desired. The mixture should be the consistency of cream. Pour mixture into a plastic squeeze bottle.

TO ICE:
Pouring from the squeeze bottle, ice one square at a time. Pour icing onto the top and let it flow down the sides, moving nozzle back and forth across surface. Some bare spots are acceptable. To ice sides, use a thin knife or insert a fork vertically into one side and rotate to ice. For thicker icing, allow to harden in refrigerator, then apply a second coat. If icing becomes too thick, microwave bottle of icing 10 seconds. Decorate tops with melted chocolate piped from a pastry bag. Dot tops with a red currant, half a raspberry or mint.