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Petit Fours aka Cute Mini Desserts

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:00:44 PST

Ever wonder what those French petit fours really are? Well, wonder no more; A La Tart is happy to demystify them for you. (Hint: they're really just cute and mini!)

In case you didn't know, petit fours aren't just those kinda gross square white cakes with a crusty pink flour on top that you've had at a tea or shower. Petit four is just a classy french way of saying mini dainty dessert, they can come in tarts, cookies, cakes - just make them tiny. They can even be savory (petit fours sales).

A classic french petit four is the French macaroon; more pictures of those to come later this week!

Want more pastry goodness? Be sure to start following A La Tart, then get to work on your own OnSugar blog. You may even wind up featured here.

Tea Party: Food and Beverages

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:37 PDT

It's pretty obvious that tea will be the beverage of choice at this baby shower whether you choose to serve it piping hot or iced with lemon.

And, what goes better with the herbal elixir than savory finger sandwiches and sugary treats? From the traditional cucumber to the more worldly roasted turkey and mango chutney, tea sandwiches are a fun way for guests to sample several flavors on a plate.

Get creative with the nibblers by shaping them into bottles, teddy bears and baby feet with cookie cutters. To see what's for dessert,

read more. And, for something to satisfy the sweet tooth, buy some bakery made petit fours (32 lil cakes for $64) in the colors of the baby-to-be's nursery. Source and Source

How Does Your Garden Grow?

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:29:51 PDT

It's the first day of spring, and my thoughts are turning towards fresh veggies and bright colors. Normally it's the appetizers and main courses that get the spring treatment, but this year, dessert can play along too. This Garden Patch Cakelet Pan ($34) is a garden-themed cake pan that features rows of carrots, cauliflower, radishes and peas. It would make the most adorable petit-fours and hey, maybe it'll get your little ones (or big ones) to finally eat their veggies.

From My Kitchen: Chili Honey Butter

Padma Lakshmi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:34:26 PST

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today, Padma sings the virtues of a lesser-known condiment: homemade chili honey butter.

Chili . . . honey . . . butter. Need I say more? It's actually dangerous to keep this condiment around because you will find yourself buttering your toast with it, frying up eggs with a bit of it melted in the pan, not to mention making home fries, too. And that's just breakfast. It can be used to sauté green beans and carrots, to brush on grilled fish, even to baste a whole chicken for roasting.

Related: Global Pantry: Garam Masala

Get her recipe after the break.

Trendspotting: Teeny Tiny Sweet Treats

Nancy Einhart — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:10:25 PDT

What's cuter than a cupcake? A mini cupcake, of course! Increasingly, sweet treats come in two sizes: regular and petite. Almost every cupcakery is cooking up mini cakes for birthday parties and office soirees, three-bite cake pops put the trend on a stick, and national chains like Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins are getting even more creative with tiny treats.

On the heels of the Starbucks petites line of mini cupcakes, whoopie pies, and cake pops (pictured above), Baskin-Robbins is debuting cake bites, which are basically four-bite nuggets of ice cream cake.

We've also spotted brownie bites ranging from Trader Joe's tasty treats to Pillsbury's Sweet Moments line of brownie bites. Bakery line Entenmann's also sells mini versions of its cakes, while Starbucks plans to roll out new holiday-themed petites this November.

Why are tiny treats so big? Surely it's a combination of cuteness and the calorie factor, letting eaters indulge in just a few bites rather than a large, decadent dessert. So what do you think of the trend: too cute to resist or too much already?

Rachel, Rodger, and Skyler Share a Pre-Father's Day Night Out on the Town

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:40:05 PDT

Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman took their little guy, Skyler, out on Rodeo Drive last Friday evening. The trio stepped out on Beverly Hills' famed street following another appearance earlier in the week at upscale children's boutique Petit Tresor on nearby Robertson Boulevard. The family was on hand at Petit Tresor to celebrate the owners' new collaboration with Babies"R"Us. The family has had an eventful June so far, with yesterday also marking Rodger's first Father's Day. Skyler, who was born in March, is already reaching some major milestones of his own. Just this morning, Rachel tweeted that he's started dancing to songs on the radio! The adorable infant will be the newest addition to the cast of The Rachel Zoe Project when season four debuts on Bravo this August.

Rachel Zoe Makes a Red Carpet Appearance With Skyler and Rodger by Her Side and Sings the Praises of "Supermom" Jennifer Garner

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:49:44 PDT

Rachel Zoe, her husband, Rodger Berman, and their son, Skyler, stepped out at Petit Tresor children's boutique in LA this afternoon. Rodger held adorable Skyler in his arms, while Rachel greeted attendees and spoke to reporters during the festivities. She told us that her life has changed a lot since she and Rodger welcomed the little guy in March. She said season four of The Rachel Zoe Project won't feature her flying around the world as frequently as usual because her new role as mom meant she couldn't travel to Milan or Paris for last season's shows. She also admitted she wears fewer pieces from her famous jewelry collection on a day-to-day basis because Skyler loves to grab them! Rachel, who works with lots of A-list moms, also revealed that one of the famous women who has given her the greatest parenting advice is "supermom" Jennifer Garner!

Thursday Giveaway! mark. Beauty Essentials

BellaSugar — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:00:00 PDT

We love helping you look your best, and this week we've got you covered with the mark. beauty essentials makeup kit! It's complete with items to make your eyes pop, like the new volumizing lash all you want mascara and on the edge hookup liner. To get that perfect pout, we have glow baby glow hookup gloss complete with the hookup connector to link your liner and gloss. And to keep you organized on the go, we've included the petite cosmetic bag so you can have these essentials handy at all times.

For each of the next four days, we are giving away a mark. beauty essentials kit. Come back daily to enter for your chance to win:

What Will Be the New Cupcake?

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:41:28 PDT

Cupcakes have taken the world by storm and although it seemed like there was no sign of stopping the little cake that could, according to Nation's Restaurant News, the trend could finally be slowing. Food forecasters are predicting that Americans are ready to move onto the next big dessert craze. But what exactly will that be?

There are plenty of options: doughnuts, macarons, mini cupcakes, pie, petit fours, cake balls, whoopie pies, even bacon. OK, that last one was a joke, but really, I want to know your feelings about this. There was a time when I thought macarons would be the new cupcake; however, the French treat is too difficult to make and probably won't go completely mainstream. Can the cupcake actually be replaced? What do you think will be the next cupcake?

Source: Flickr User adrielsocrates

Sneak Peek of Stella McCartney Kids' Fall/Winter Collection

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:01:23 PDT

Designers take note: Stella McCartney has the perfect recipe for transforming a high-end adult line into a coveted kids collection. Adding playful elements to well-made clothes, and working hard to keep the prices in line with some national chains (ranging from $20 for a t-shirt to $150 for a wool coat), the mom of four continues churning out pieces that leave fashion-minded mamas drooling.

This morning, I visited the London-based designer's New York showroom and was blown away by the upcoming fun and functional Fall collection. With playful pieces, such as hoodies that transform into masks and glow-in-the dark tees, and mini me versions of some of Stella McCartney's more popular runway looks (a rhinestone sweatsuit, denim dress and sleek wool coat), the line is filled with age-appropriate items ranging from infant to age 12 that both tots and parents can get behind (don't forget that many petite mamas bought larger pieces from Stella's GapKids collection for themselves!). Though not available until August, take a look at some of my favorite selections and let me know which are your favorites!