The petit four cookie is a staple in any Lebanese pastry shop. It’s a buttery cookie that either stuffed with chocolate or jam, or left single. you will see trays of them all shapes and sizes stuffed, dipped and decorated. It truly is a feast for the eyes. The many shapes are traditionally made using a cookie press but you can also pipe the dough or roll it out and use cookie cutters. The possibilities are endless. I personally love rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters to make fun shapes for the kids to decorate. These cookies can be sandwiched and stuffed or kept as singles. They can Also be left plain and are just as satisfying. Since they are butter cookies be mindful of the temperature in your kitchen when working with these. If the kitchen is too warm, cool dough before proceeding to work with it. Also, always chill the dough before baking to help the cookie keep it’s shape. Try out these melt in your mouth cookies and let us know what you think.
Petite Fours
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups All purpose Flour To make chocolate flavour petit four, replace 2 heaping tbsp of flour with 2 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder.
- 1 cup Butter Room Temperature
- 0.5 cup Confectioner Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Pinch Salt
Garnishes/Cookie Filling (Optional)
- Melted Chocolate
- Sprinkles
- Crushed Pistachios
- Apricot Jams
Instructions
- In a mixer cream butter until fluffy and pale
- Add sugar and mix until combined
- Add egg and mix until just combined
- Sift in flour in small amounts and mix until combined well.
- The dough should come together nicely and not be too sticky when handled.
- Preheat oven to 325F
- You can form cookies using cookie press, a pipping bag or cookie cutter and bake for 7-10 minutes on 325F.
If using cookie press:
- When using cookie press, push dough through press, allow dough to stick to lightly greased tray or parchment paper before pulling away. Cool for a couple of minutes before baking on middle rack until lightly golden on bottom ; ~7-10 minutes.
If using a piping bag:
- Fit piping bag with a large pastry tip of your choice and fill bag with a manageable amount of dough. Pipe dough out in even thickness in desired shape. Cool cookies for a couple of minutes before baking on middle rack until lightly golden on the bottom ; ~7-10 min.
If using cookie cutter:
- Roll dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cool for 5-10 minutes before using a cookie cutter to cut out cookie shape. Transfer to baking sheet; cool for a couple of minutes and bake on medium rack for 7-10 minutes or just until the bottom of cookie is lightly golden.
- Once cookies are shaped and baked, transfer to cooling rack and prepare to stuff and garnish!
Garnish/Stuff (optional)
- Melt a good quality chocolate in double broiler or microwave. If using microwave remember to do short increments of 30 seconds and stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted.
- Stuff using one spoon of apricot Jam or melted chocolate, spoon onto one cookie and sandwich with another on top. Allow chocolate stuff cookies to set before garnishing the top.
- Dip top of cookies in Chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles or pistachios