Christmas Petits Fours

Ingredients for 50 servings:

• 6 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 180 g sugar
• 2 pts. vanilla sugar, (bourbon)
• 150 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 45 g cocoa powder
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 250 g jam (cherry)
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
• 4 tbsp rum
• 150 g marzipan paste
• 200 g dark chocolate coating
• 250 g cake icing
• Pistachios, decoration as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

-for chocolate lovers-

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with salt until stiff. Add both types of sugar. Continue beating until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the egg yolks. Mix the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Finely grate the chocolate. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Line a 36 x 28 cm oven tray with baking paper. Spread the dough evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (convection oven) for about 20 minutes. Let cool in the baking sheet. Stir in the jam, gingerbread spice, and rum to warm. Cut the sponge cake in half. Spread one half with jam (except for 2 tablespoons). Place the other half on top. Spread a thin layer of the remaining jam over the surface. Roll out the marzipan between two sheets of baking paper into a thin rectangle. Cover the sponge cake with this mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Cut the sponge cake into approximately 3 cm cubes. Place on a chocolate rack. Melt the dark chocolate coating. Cover the sponge cake cubes with dark chocolate coating. Decorate as desired. Let dry.