In my experience petite fours always have the frosting poured.

Well, I do have a recipe for pourable fondant, which isn't as sweet and sticky as rolled fondant, and contains no corn syrup. Most of my glaze recipes either call for corn syrup as it helps prevent crystallization, or it's simply powdered sugar and liquid like orange juice or water and an extract.

I'd take the jam and either use it to fill the little cakes or thin it by heating or with liquid and use that as a syrup to brush on before the glaze, that would be yummy. Let it sit before dipping, I think, so that the cake couldn't be so wet and crumble or break.

I've also found that I can put this in a plastic bottle with a tip, like the ones you can buy at food supply stores for catsup and mustard, and then squeeze the glaze over the cakes and it gives you a lot more control over the amount and the placement.

Anyway, cooked European poured fondant:

European Poured Fondant

3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 3/4 cups water
1 package 10X (confectioners' powdered) sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla AND/OR
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, OR
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract, OR
Few drops peppermint extract

Combine granulated sugar, cream of tartar and water in a large saucepan; heat slowly, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, then cook, without stirring, to 226� on a candy thermometer; remove mixture from heat.

Cool to 125�, then gradually beat in 10X sugar, salt and vanilla or your choice of flavoring until smooth and syrupy.

Dip the cake squares into the glaze while the glaze is very liquid or place cake squares onto sheet pan and pour fondant over.

Oh, and there's also ganache, although I don't know if it would set up as hard as you want for petit fours.

Annie

Perhaps this pic will inspire you.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1510818}}

I've been thinking about this one. What you're talking about is more like french fancies than traditional petits fours. Yummy either way.

There are endless icing recipes for Petits Fours, and you already have some to choose from here.

But don't be afraid of chocolate. White or dark chocolate glazes made with heavy cream or butter, are not terribly sweet and set up beautifully, with a nice sheen. Not anywhere near as hard as you may think.

Another tip to keep in mind (no matter which glaze you're working with) Petits Fours are much easier to work with, when frozen.

I recommend cutting the cake accordingly. Then, freezing the tiny cakes until firm, before dipping into the glaze.
Freezing will keep crumbs under control, ergo, there'll be no need for a crumbcoat.
And once glazed, the cakes will set up fast, but will still have a soft bite.

Sometimes, especially when using a white or pale tinted glaze, you might have to repeat the dipping process to thoroughly cover the cakes. DON'T freeze them a second time, but always allow the first glaze to set up completely, before proceeding.

Sol

Oops. Let me elaborate on the freezing step.

You'll want to freeze the slab of cake until just firm enough to easily cut through, into the desirable shapes. But not frozen solid. Certainly not to the point where you'll need a chainsaw and three ruggedly handsome lumberjacks...unless you're into that sort of thing. And who isn't?

Then, if not glazing the cakes right after cutting, cover and freeze them again, until you're ready to add the glaze.

Sol

Islay those treats are gorgeous and waaaay past what my farmers market customers would expect. Hmmm, maybe it's time? LOL

Thanks to all of you for your help. I'm going to try them all! Squeeze bottles, freezing, glazing, poured, chocolate glaze and truffles making a bump. What fun!

I like fiddling with food but I have no skill whatsoever in big cake decorating. Squiggles and stripes for contrast is as fancy as I can get on my small cakes and cookies, though I did find that dots of a different color get a lot of attention, as do a little candied cherry or piece of crystal ginger sitting in a pool of butter cream. I envied y'all's giant rose frosting on a cupcake and on a huge whole cake like a bouquet! Shoot, I can't even do anything at all fancy with a piping bag and any one of the assorted tips. So, I have to think small and elegant with the most dainty decorations.

Nancy