Petit Fours"Lets make those" I would tell my mom. But it was always the same, and later to be discovered, wise answer "No, those are really hard to make and they often don't turn out" I think another reason I always wanted to make them was because in the American Girl book, Happy Birthday Samantha, she had them at her birthday party, and that had ever evoked my fascination and curiosity with the small, beautiful treats.
So, many years later, an opportunity came up for me to make a dessert for a special function. My mind went back to that old cookbook page...I knew what I would be bringing. I was now old enough to do it and also prove that petit fours can be done! My next thought was:
"I'll get Shelby to help me!"
I researched recipes, read reviews, and even joined Shelby at her house for breakfast to discuss our plan of action. We were set. The recipe was picked out. And it was going to work!!!
8:45 Thursday morning Shelby's van pulled up. She walked in, carrying a big bag of powdered sugar (I texted her to bring extra. Just in case) We set to work. I, measuring out the ingredients for the frosting, And she, cutting the cake into small pieces (we had baked it the day before) After heating the frosting on the doubler boiler, I dropped food coloring into it, giving it a delicate pink tint. Now the moment had come: it was time to POUR!
"uhhh...Shelby....ummm...it's not really working"
"It's getting too hard!"
"It's not coating the sides!"
"What do I do?"
Suddenly, I understood why petit fours were supposedly "hard to make" and why my dear mother never let us try them when we were younger. Instead of smooth frosting covering the dainty little cubes. I had blotches and gobs of pink frosting, akwardly situated every which way on the little cakes.
I was dissapointed for sure, but at the same time, I should have known it would happen. Even my resiliency to prove that I could bake petit fours didn't prove strong enough--it simply was a mess!
"Ok. plan B" my baking savy friend said. "I'm just gonna start drizzling it on"
Drizzle we did. And you know what? They weren't the beautiful little cakes we saw in the pictures, but they still looked pretty cute!
In the end, I learned a few lessons. The prettier desserts are usually the hardest to make, it's fun to dream, mothers do know what they are talking about, and making a mess is SO much more fun if you do it with a friend!
Thanks Shelbygirl! =)
8 comments:
Yum! I think they turned out great!
Heheh!! Great story, Kels. You sound like me...I try to get too adventurous in the kitchen and it doesn't always turn out like I'd planned. :) Looks like in the end it was great though!! :)
That was so much fun Kels! I loved being with you in the kitchen, and getting to see how you plan too. I tend to just throw things together, but I was so impressed with the way you researched it. (Certainly is better to think it though and plan. I'm inspired.) Even though our dream was somewhat compromised, I still think that the evolution of the petit fours was a fun experience. :D (btw I love your writing style!)
LOL!! hehehe... so much fun and a great memory for sure!! They were cute though. I laughed at the first picture of your "petit fours". love you and your sense of humor my friend!!
What a fun post! I also loved the petit fours because of the American girls. I went to a tea parlor one day with my aunt and informed her quite proudly about the name and all the proper tea etiquette. She was kind enough to indulge me!
Kelsey!! I always automatically think of "Happy Birthday Samantha" when I see or read about petit fours! The name is synonymous with Samantha to me ... (probably because she's my doll, too) :)
Aww, I think the "drizzled ones" were super cute! (and the first ones too!! ;) You can only imagine how much WORSE they would have turned out if I had been in the kitchen with you ... :D (although my desserts are turning out not too shabby if I do say so myself, but I haven't tried anything so ambitious as petit fours ... yet. I just know I will - I like to try to prove my mother wrong sometimes, too! :D).
Ohh, I have so much to talk about with you, friend!! If only time would hurry up till I can see you ... I love you!!
Oh ps: I finally heard the Steven Curtis Chapman song the other day "Moments Made for Worship" and halfway through the song, I was like, "hey!! This is the song on Kelsey's blog!" :D So now I know it ... :]
that's so funny :) I could totally relate to your dreams as a girl... making those very fun little tarts. It couldn't be that hard could it?
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