Petit Fours

French for “small baked pastries,” although confections, which are included on the petit-fours plate, are not baked (glazed or chocolate-dipped fruit, marzipan, nut clusters, e.g.). The words mignardises (min-yar-DEEZ), from the French for “preciousness,” and friandises (free-yon-DEEZ), from the French for “delicate,” are often used instead of petit-fours.

There are two styles of petit-fours, glacé and sec:

Petit-fours glacées or frais include filled and/or iced petit fours, miniature babas, miniature éclairs, tiny iced cakes and tartlets.

Petit-fours secs include small cookies, macaroons, meringues palmiers and tuiles.