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 An assortment of petits fours | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | France |
| Main ingredients | Varies by type |
Apetit four (French pronunciation:[pətifuʁ]; plural:petits fours[pətifuʁ]) is a small bite-sizedconfectionery orsavory appetiser. The name isFrench for "small oven". They are also known asmignardises[miɲaʁdiz], and in England,fancies.
In 18th and 19th century France,large brick or stone ovens were used to bake bread. Because the ovens took a long time to cool down after baking bread, bakers often took advantage of their stored heat for bakingpastries. This process was called bakingà petit four (literally "at small oven").[1][2]
Petits fours come in three varieties:
In a Frenchpâtisserie, assorted smalldesserts are usually calledmignardises, while hard, buttery biscuits are called petits fours.
