Lime and Raspberry Petits Fours

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-in.-square pans with parchment paper.

• Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and stir with a fork until uniform. Set aside.

• Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk one at a time and beat until uniform. Add half of flour mixture, then beat in sour cream and lime zest. Add remaining flour until just combined.

• Divide batter between prepared pans and use a spatula to level top. Bake for 22 to 25 min or until cakes are lightly golden and a cake tester comes out with crumbs clinging to it. Remove from the oven and let cool fully on a rack before proceeding.

• Place lime juice and sugar in a pot over medium heat and stir for 3 min, or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

• Peel parchment from cakes and turn both bottom up. Brush these sides with lime syrup.

• Spread a thin layer of jam on one of the cakes all the way to the edges and sandwich the other cake layer on top (so the original tops of cake are now both on the outside of the sandwich). Freeze cake for 20 min or until firm, then use a serrated knife to cut cakes into about 1 1⁄2-in.-square pieces. (Freezing allows for clean cuts.) Set aside.

• Melt white chocolate in a small pot or in the microwave on low heat. Set aside.

• Combine icing sugar, hot water and corn syrup in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, or in the top of a double boiler, and stir until smooth, fully combined, and warmed to no more than 100°F. Stir in reserved white chocolate. Divide between two bowls and colour with food colouring as desired.

• Set a rack over a baking sheet. Working with one piece of cake at a time, dip the sides of cake in the icing, set on the rack, and spoon a bit more icing over top to cover. Sprinkle with coloured sugar. Repeat until all cakes are coated