Almond Petits Fours

Lovely mini cakes, luxurious treat after dinner.

1. 1

   Cake:
   
   1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
   
   2. Crumble almond paste, than add sugar and combine until finely ground.(Use food processor)
   
   3. Add butter and process until smooth.
   
   4. Add eggs and process until combined.
   
   5. Add flour, baking powder and salt, and process until blended.
   
   6. Spoon batter into 12 muffin-pan cups, filling almost to top.
   
   7. Bake cakes 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
   
   8. Cool cakes on wire rack 10 minutes.
   
   Glaze:
   1. Melt the butter.
   
   2. Stir in milk, syrup, and salt, then stir in confectioners' sugar until glaze mixture is smooth.
   
   3. Reserve 1 tablespoons white glaze for decorating tops of petits fours, cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
   
   4. Divide remaining glaze into desired number of custard cups, tint with choice of food coloring.
   
   5. Decorate petits fours.
   
   6. Set cakes, still on wire rack, over waxed paper.
   
   7. Spoon tinted glazes over cakes as desired, allowing glaze to run down sides and drip onto waxed paper.
   
   8. Allow glaze to set, about 25 minutes.
   
   9. When glaze on cakes is set, spoon reserved white glaze in a piping bag and make designe on top.
   
   Allow designs to dry completely.