Strawberry Lychee Petit Fours

Please don’t judge me, but I only discovered the wonderful taste of lychee about a year ago. I live in a small town in rural Pennsylvania, and our grocery stores often have a more limited selection of baking ingredients. I don’t know if anyone else can relate to this, but I simply bought it because I had never seen it before. I had no idea what I was going to make with it, but I had to purchase it just in case it did not get restocked.  Upon eating it, I discovered that it was a pleasantly familiar flavor that I must have eaten before without realizing exactly what I was eating.  After researching it and experimenting with it a few times, I found that it pairs very well with  strawberry. That discovery, paired with a recently found love for doctored box mix recipes, led to these petit fours. 

The fusion of flavors is made easy in this recipe due to the fact that pureeing a can of lychee creates just enough puree to replace the milk or water required in most boxed cake mixes. The syrup that comes in the can is soaked into the cake to not only add moisture but also flavor. Have you ever cooked with lychee in your baking?

Strawberry Lychee Petit Fours

Cake

• 1 box strawberry cake mix

• 1 can peeled and pitted lychee (20 oz jar; drained, save the syrup)

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup oil

Filling

• 1 jar strawberry jam 

• 4 tbsp lychee syrup

Glaze

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup lychee syrup

• 2 tbsp corn syrup

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Prepare the cake according to package directions. Puree the lychee in a blender; use this lychee puree in place of the water or milk listed on the cake mix box. Bake in a square 9x13 pan referring to the cake box for temperature and baking time.

2. Cut the cake into two layers in order to fill it. Use a basting brush to brush 4 tbsp of lychee syrup onto the bottom layer of cake. Spread the jam onto the bottom layer, and then place the other layer on top. Use a knife or square cookie cutter to cut the cake into one inch cubes. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

3. To make the glaze, place the powdered sugar, lychee syrup, and corn syrup into a saucepan. Heat thoroughly on medium heat and constantly stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate chips. Allow to set for 2-3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt, and then stir. Allow to cool to room temperature.

4. For assembly, place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the cake pieces onto the cooling rack. Put the glaze into a piping bag and pipe onto the cake pieces. Allow the petit fours to set to allow the excess to drip into the baking pan. 

Tips

The amount of jam that you use is not of huge consequence. I used a 13 oz jar to create a relatively thin layer, but you could use a larger jar if you want a thicker layer of filling.
If you want a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar. Alternatively, add more chocolate chips at the final stage.
Conversely, you can make a thinner glaze by adding a little more lychee syrup, which will also add a stronger flavor. 
Try to assemble your petit fours the same day, as the glaze will start to become too thick to pour if placed in the refrigerator for an extended period of time. If you must make the glaze ahead of time and need to bring it back to a pourable temperature, microwave it in 15 second increments and stir after each increment.