Baumkuchen Petits Fours

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 250 g butter, soft
• 250 g sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 2 tbsp arrack or rum
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 200 g flour
• 50 g cornstarch
• 75 g whipped cream
• 400 g dark chocolate

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Stored in a cool, dry place, the Petits Fours will keep for about 2 weeks

Grease a 24 x 24 cm square springform pan or casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 250°C (electric oven). Cream together 250 g of butter and sugar using a whisk on a mixer until creamy. Stir in the eggs, one at a time. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Stir in the vanilla seeds with a pinch of salt, arrack or rum, and 1 pinch of nutmeg. Mix the flour and cornstarch and briefly stir in alternately with the cream. Spread 3-4 tablespoons of batter evenly in the dish. Bake under the hot grill on the middle rack for 1-3 minutes until light brown. Spread another 3-4 tablespoons of batter on top and continue in the same way until all the batter is used up. The Baumkuchen will then have about 7 layers and be about 3 cm high. Let it cool. Remove the cake from the dish, level it, and cut it into 3 x 3 cm squares. Roughly chop the chocolate and melt it in a hot water bath (I do this in a bowl in the microwave at moderate heat). Stir occasionally with a fork and watch the chocolate to make sure it doesn’t burn. Then, using a brush, coat the petits with chocolate and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Decorate the chocolate cubes with sugar flowers or other decorations before they cool completely.