Pumpkin Cheesecake Petits Fours Recipes

PUMPKIN-CHEESECAKE PETITS FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place butter and softened cream cheese in a small microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave on medium setting stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add cookie mix, melted butter and cream cheese mixture, egg, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and cake flour. Stir until dough forms. Sift together 2 tablespoons each of cocoa powder and cake flour to use for dusting board and rolling pin. Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick. Using cutters slightly bigger than petits fours molds, stamp out cookies. Fit cookies into molds and cut off excess. Bake in batches for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from molds. Cool completely on wire racks.
• To make the filling, scoop out into separate bowls the pie fillings of the thawed cheesecake and baked pumpkin pie. Be careful not to get any of the crusts. Discard the crusts. Add heavy cream and beat each filling with a wire whisk to smooth out consistency.
• To assemble, using pastry bags or zip-top bag with a star tip, hold the bag on its side and spoon in half of the cheesecake filling. Then spoon half of the pumpkin filling on the other side. Test the frosting by squeezing the bag until both fillings come out. Fill 2 more pastry bags or zip-top bags, 1 with the remaining cheesecake filling and the other with the pumpkin filling. Add fillings to petits fours.
• To make the chocolate icing, remove lid and foil seal from chocolate icing. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Pour into small zip-top bag. Snip off tiny opening in corner of bag. Drizzle over petits fours. Garnish with an espresso bean.

PUMPKIN PIE PETIT FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease and line 4 x 4" cake sandwich pans with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spice.
• In the medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix together well.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 15 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer, when inserted into the center, comes out clean.
• Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting-beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla and finally beat in the cream cheese, a little at a time.
• Split the sponges in half. Spread half of the frosting over the bottom half of each cake. Place on the top half and press down firmly. Cut each into 8 wedges and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Heat the candy melts in the microwave until melted, adding a little shortening to get a smooth, fluid, dipping consistency.
• Dip the cake wedges into the candy melts and leave on a wire rack to set. Finally, fill the piping bag with the rest of the frosting and decorate the pies. Sprinkle with the non pareils.

CHEESECAKE PETIT FOURS WITH CREAMY STRAWBERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Place cheesecake in freezer until partially frozen, about 3 to 4 hours.
• Using your cookie cutters, press out mini cheesecakes and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. To smooth the sides of the cheesecake, you may dip a small knife into hot water. Place cakes in the refrigerator.
• In a medium saucepan, heat jam, sugar, cream cheese, and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are fully combined. Once dissolved, whisk ingredients to combine. Let mixture come to a rapid boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes; the mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes and then strain. Pour glaze over cheesecakes and let set. For a professional look, transfer glaze to a squeeze bottle and pipe a star shape over cheesecakes.
• Place icing in a large resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe icing over cheesecakes. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

CAKE PETIT FOURS

Steps:

• Slice cake into 1/4-inch thick slices. Spread jam on the cake slices and then top with sliced strawberries. Cut cake slices into 1-inch circles and stars and set aside.
• Separate the frosting into 3 bowls and add food coloring to reach desired colors (1 to 2 drops of red to make pink, 1 to 2 drops of green to make seafoam and 1 to 2 drops of brown to make cream). Make a glaze by combining the sugar and milk in a medium bowl. Separate the glaze into 3 bowls and tint each to match the frosting colors.
• Place cake cut-outs on a wire rack. Fill 3 resealable plastic bags fitted with a star tip with each color of frosting and then pipe desired frosting over. Using a melon baler, add a scoop of ice cream and then sandwich the cut-outs. Drizzle glaze over cut-outs. Let glaze set. Pipe a star on the top of each petit four with the corresponding color of icing. Garnish with a small strawberry slice.

OMBRé PETITS FOURS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut 3 pieces of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray, line it with 1 piece of parchment, and spray the parchment. Reserve the other 2 parchment pieces.
• Prepare the cake mix batter according to the package directions. Transfer the batter to a large liquid measuring cup and then divide it equally among 3 bowls. Use red food coloring to tint each bowl a different shade of pink: about 4 drops for lightest color, 8 for medium, and 16 for the darkest.
• Pour the darkest batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it with an offset spatula. Shake the pan vigorously and tap it against the counter a few times to even out the batter and release any air bubbles. Bake until set and the edges are starting to pull away from the pan, about 9 minutes. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Invert the cake onto a large cutting board and spread it with 1/3 cup of the jam.
• Meanwhile, cool the baking pan under running water, dry well, and prepare as before with cooking spray, another piece of parchment, and more spray. Repeat the baking and cooling steps with the medium-colored batter. When completely cool, flip the cake directly onto the first cake -- it's okay if the edges don't line up perfectly -- and spread with the remaining 1/3 cup jam.
• Cool the pan once again and repeat with the lightest batter. When cool, flip directly on top of the layered cake.
• Put the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream to just shy of a boil in the microwave. Pour over the chips and let stand for 30 seconds before stirring until smooth. Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes. Beat the frosting with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.
• Trim the edges of the cake and cut into 24 squares. Pipe each square with frosting to cover. Sprinkle with the freeze-dried strawberries.