Party Petits-Fours

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12 x 15 inch pan with parchment paper. Beat 4 egg whites and 4 tbsp cold water until stiff peaks form, gradually adding the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and beat to incorporate. Pour into the pan and smooth out. Bake for 8 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
2. 2
   Sprinkle a kitchen towel with sugar and turn out the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment paper. Allow to cool.
3. 3
   Press the jam through a sieve, discarding the seeds. Cut the cake into thirds. Spread half the jam over 1 piece of cake. Lay another piece of cake on top and spread with the remaining jam. Lay the final piece of cake on top. Loosely cover with parchment paper and lay a board on top to weigh it down evenly. Chill for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
4. 4
   Remove the board and parchment paper. Trim any rough edges and cut into 24 squares. To make the icing, mix the powdered sugar and 2 egg whites until smooth, then stir in 3-4 tbsp water until the icing is just spreadable. Transfer 1/3 of the icing to a clean bowl, cover with tinfoil and set aside.
5. 5
   Dip the cake cubes in the remaining icing and allow to drain back into the bowl. Place on a wire rack and allow to dry. Color portions of the reserved icing with different food colorings, spoon into piping bags and decorate the petits-fours as you please. Finish with sugar pearls and marzipan figures.