UHC17M

Produce petit fours

Unit reference number: F/507/5509
Level: 3
Guided Learning (GL) hours: 60

Overview
The aim of this unit is to develop your knowledge, understanding and practical skills in the
production of petit fours. Petit fours means “little ovens”; they are small sweet items served
at the end of the meal, usually with coffee. They are often chocolate, sugar or biscuit-based
and are prepared skilfully and patiently using a variety of methods and techniques.

You will learn the characteristics of different types of petit fours, their preparation methods,
the equipment required and safe working methods. You will also learn how to perform
operations in line with current professional practices using traditional, classical and modern
techniques. You will understand the importance of checking for quality, identifying and
correcting faults in petit fours.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit learners will:

LO1 Know how to produce and finish petit fours

LO2 Be able to produce and finish petit fours

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Assessment requirements
Learners must complete all four assessment requirements related to this unit:
1. Service portfolio
2. Graded practical assessment
3. External examination
4. Graded synoptic assessment

1. Service portfolio
Learners must produce a service portfolio that includes evidence of practical assessment
carried out with proficiency.

At a minimum the service portfolio for this unit must include all of the following:
 Cooked a minimum of 2 categories of petit fours
- Glacés – for example blackcurrant jellies, fruit in caramel, fondant dips, pâté
de fruit
- Sec – for example macaroons, poppy seed tuiles, coconut tuiles, Florentines
- Confiserie variée – for example Turkish delight, white chocolate fudge,
marshmallow, dipped chocolates, moulded chocolates, truffles
 Used a minimum of 6 techniques for the production and finishing
- Melting
- Piping
- Dipping
- Boiling sugar
- Baking
- Cutting
- Cooking sugar
- Tempering chocolate
- Shapes
- Finishes
 Produced a minimum of 4 fillings, glazes, creams and icings for petit fours
- Chocolate
- Chocolate glaze
- Chocolate ganache
- Flavoured buttercream
- Fondant
- Icing sugar
- Spice sugar
 Carried out all quality checks
- Temperature while preparing and cooking
- Consistency
- Uniform size
- Suitable size
- Flavour
- Colour
- Texture

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 Considered all correct storage procedures
- Covered
- Labels and dates
- Appropriate temperature
- Area humidity control

The service portfolio must be completed prior to learners undertaking the practical skills test.
Whilst service portfolios will not be graded, they may be sampled by the VTCT External
Quality Assurer (EQA).

Evidence from the graded practical assessment must also be presented in the service
portfolio.

2. Graded practical assessment

Learners must carry out a complete assessment which will be observed, marked and graded
by centre assessors. The grade achieved in the graded practical assessment will be the
grade awarded for the unit.

The graded practical assessment must take place in a real or realistic working environment.
At a minimum the graded practical assessment for this unit must cover:

 Produce Glacés or Sec or Confiserie petit fours

Recorded professional discussion can also be used as an assessment method attached to

the graded practical assessment and is particularly useful for gathering evidence for criteria
related to evaluation and reflection. Professional discussions should be planned and
recorded.

3. External examination
Whilst the theory content of LO1 may be naturally assessed in the graded practical
assessment, it will be tested by external examinations at the end of the period of learning.

External examinations will test knowledge and understanding from across the whole
vocational area (mandatory units). Learners should use the unit content section of this unit to
aid revision since exam questions will test the full breadth of this section.

External examinations will be set and marked by VTCT and will contribute to the overall
qualification grade.

4. Graded synoptic assessment

In the last term or final third of their qualification learners will be required to undertake a
graded synoptic assessment. This will require learners to plan, produce, cook and finish a
number of dishes from across the whole vocational area (mandatory units). Assessment
coverage will vary year on year, although all services will be covered over time.

VTCT will set a brief for centres which will detail the food items to be covered in the graded
synoptic assessment. Grading descriptors for the synoptic assessment will also be provided
by VTCT.

The graded synoptic assessment will be marked and graded by centre staff and externally
quality assured by VTCT.

The graded synoptic assessment will contribute to the overall qualification grade.

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Unit content
LO1 Know how to produce and finish petit fours
Learners must know categories of petit fours:
 Glacés – e.g. blackcurrant jellies, fruit in caramel, fondant dips, pâté de fruit
 Sec – e.g. macaroons, poppy seed tuiles, coconut tuiles, Florentines
 Confiserie variée – e.g. Turkish delight, white chocolate fudge, marshmallow, dipped
chocolates, moulded chocolates, truffles

Learners must know appropriate flavour combinations for petit fours:

 For example white chocolate and raspberry, dark chocolate and Grand Marnier, vanilla
and strawberry, dark chocolate and rum, almonds and honey

Learners must know ingredients in petit fours that may cause allergic reactions:
 Nuts, gluten, wheat, dairy products, eggs

Learners must be able to calculate food costs for producing petit fours:
 Cost of ingredients for quantities being produced

Learners must know tools and equipment for producing and finishing petit fours:
 For example, bowls, spoons whisks, mixers, sieves, rolling pin, piping bags, pans,
scales, tins, moulds, knives, ovens

Learners must know the techniques for the production and finishing petit fours:
 For example, melting, piping, dipping, boiling sugar, baking, cutting, cooking sugar,
tempering chocolate, shapes, finishes, serving plates and trays

Learners must know the fillings, glazes, creams and icings for petit fours:
 For example, chocolate, chocolate glaze, chocolate ganache, flavoured buttercream,
fondant, icing sugar, spice sugar

Learners must know how to control time, temperature and environment to achieve the
desired outcome when producing petit fours:
 Using correct cooking methods, using correct tools and equipment, excellent
organisation and planning, keeping ingredients at correct temperature, working with
chocolate at correct temperature, not cooking sugar in a damp atmosphere

Learners must know the quality checks when producing and finishing petit fours:
 Temperature while preparing and cooking, consistency, uniform size, suitable size,
flavour, colour, texture

Learners must know the importance of consistency when producing and finishing
petit fours:
 Visual impact for example exact size and shape, continuity of decoration, display,
plating

Learners must know the storage procedures for finished petit fours:
 Covered, labels and dates, appropriate temperature, humidity control area

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LO2 Be able to produce and finish petit fours
Comply with uniform and personal appearance standards:
 Wear the correct uniform to comply with health and safety, food safety, personal
protective equipment (PPE) regulations. The uniform must be clean, hair must be tied
back and put under a hat or hair net, beards or facial hair must be covered with a net and
a clean apron must be used to prevent cross-contamination. Nails must be short, clean
and unpolished. To prevent cross-contamination no jewellery should be worn; lost
jewellery will contaminate food items. Strong smelling perfume or body spray should be
avoided as this will affect the flavour of delicate food items

Comply with food safety and food hygiene regulations:

 Make sure food is safe to eat, make sure you don’t add, remove or treat food in a way
that makes it harmful to eat, make sure the food is the same quality that you say it is,
make sure you don’t mislead people by the way food is labelled, advertised or marketed,
keep records on where you got food from and show this information on demand - known
as ‘traceability’, withdraw unsafe food and complete an incident report, tell people why
food has been withdrawn or recalled e.g. a leaflet or poster, display your food hygiene
rating (if you sell food direct to the public)
 Food additives – only use an approved additive, only use it if it is approved for use in that
food, the food additive doesn’t exceed the maximum permitted level
 Materials and packaging that can be reasonably expected to come into contact with food
are called ‘food contact materials’. These can include packaging, food processing
equipment, cookware, work surfaces
 Make sure food contact materials do not transfer anything to food they touch
 Make sure food contact materials do not change the food they touch
 When inspected be able to show where the food contact materials came from
 To keep food safe from bacteria you should follow HAACP. Bacteria that cause serious
health problems are:
- E.coli O157 and campylobacter
- Salmonella, especially with the storage and handling of eggs

Apply hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP):

 To avoid hazards. This keeps your food safe from biological, chemical and physical
safety hazards

Follow mise en place work plan:

 Plan work to timescales and follow work plan to ensure mise en place is prepared on
time and correctly and the work plan should be realistic and adjusted when necessary.
Work plans help to ensure that food items and dishes are ready for service.
 Work with accuracy (reduced waste, maximum yield)
 Work with speed
 Work with proficiency

Produce and finish petit fours in line with item requirements:

 Use correct techniques to produce and finish petit fours
- Melting, piping, dipping, boiling sugar, baking, cutting, cooking sugar,
tempering chocolate, shapes, finishes, serving plates and trays
 Use the correct fillings, glazes, creams and icings for example
- Chocolate, chocolate glaze, chocolate ganache, flavoured buttercream,
fondant, icing sugar, spice sugar

 Implement correct storage procedures

- Covered, labels and dates, appropriate temperature, humidity control area

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Review the finished petit fours identifying strengths and areas for improvement:
 Taste, texture, appearance, flavour combinations
 Appropriate selection of techniques used
 Recommendations for improvements:
- To the finished petit fours (texture, appearance, seasoning, flavour
combination, temperature)
- To their own performance during the practical session

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Employability skills to be demonstrated throughout the graded practical
assessment and synoptic assessment
Commercial and environmental awareness:
 Eco-friendly and cost-efficient use of resources for example cleaning products and
consumables, less expensive ingredients
 Responsible disposal of waste
 Responsible sourcing for example locally produced ingredients where possible, using
seasonal produce

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Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria will be applied to the graded practical assessment. In order to pass this
unit, learners must at a minimum achieve all pass criteria. The pass criteria relate to the
proficient demonstration of skills and knowledge. All criteria within a given grade must be
achieved to be awarded that grade.

Learning outcome Pass Merit Distinction

The learner must: The learner can: To achieve a merit grade, in To achieve a
addition to achievement of distinction grade, in
the pass criteria, the learner addition to
can: achievement of the
pass and merit
criteria, the learner
can:
LO2 Be able to P1 Comply with M1 Use time management D1 Create finished
produce and finish uniform and personal and organisations skills petit fours that reflect
petit fours appearance standards effectively creativity and
mastery of advanced
P2 Comply with food techniques
safety and food M2 Carry out techniques
hygiene standards efficiently with accuracy and
precision D2 Justify the
P3 Apply hazard
techniques used and
analysis and critical
make
control points
recommendations to
(HACCP)
own performance
P4 Follow mise en
place work plan
P5 Produce and finish
petit fours in line with
item requirements
P6 Review the finished
petit fours identifying
strengths and areas
for improvement

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Assessment guidance
Assessors must use the amplified assessment guidance in this section to judge whether
assessment criteria have been achieved in the graded practical assessment.

P1 Comply with uniform and personal appearance standards

Learners must be professionally presented for practical sessions. They need to wear the
correct uniform and PPE. The uniform must be clean. Hair must be tied back and under their
hat and beard nets must be worn if appropriate. The learner must have minimum make-up,
no jewellery, no strong smelling perfume/body spray, short, clean unpainted nails.

P2 Comply with food safety and food hygiene standards

Learners must show that they can work within the current food safety regulations throughout
the assessment. Their methods and behaviour must minimise the risk of cross-
contamination and follow routines to avoid potentially severe health hazards.

P3 Apply hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)

Learners must follow the HACCP procedures throughout the practical assessment.

P4 Follow mise en place work plan

Learners must be able to follow their work plan which needs to include the resources
needed, the required ingredients to cook and finish the dish/design and tasks with time
allocations. The work plan must be realistic and the learner needs to follow the plan during
mise en place. At a pass level the plan may need to be adjusted during the mise en place or
the plan may in general lack detail.

P5 Produce and finish petit fours in line with item requirements

When finishing the petit fours learners should choose the style in which they want to present
the petit fours. The petit fours must be cut or moulded to an appropriate shape and
decorated perfectly. The petit fours should meet the required specifications for size, shape,
texture, and flavour combinations. The learner should use the appropriate methods for
construction and assembly for the petit fours they have chosen. For example when making
macaroons they should all be of equal size and shape, with an appropriate flavour
combination such as chocolate and pistachio. The macaroons should have a clear shine on
both sides and the ‘feet’ should be present on each shell. The macaroons should have a
chewy centre and a crunchy outside.
Learners will not need any guidance when preparing and finishing petit fours.
Petit fours must be stored correctly.

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P6 Review the finished petit fours identifying strengths and areas for improvement

Both the assessor and learners review finished product. Learners identify the main strengths
of the products and these are in line with the assessor’s feedback. Through the evaluation
process learners can recognise the areas for improvement based on taste, flavour balance,
flavour combinations and the overall look of the petit fours.

M1 Use time management and organisations skills effectively

The planning for the mise en place supports learner’s ability to use the time allowed for the
practical session effectively. The organisational skills allow preparation to complete
efficiently and in a continuously clean work space. Learners are exceptionally well organised
and confidently carry out tasks.

M2 Carry out techniques efficiently with accuracy and precision

Learners must show that their use of techniques reaches a consistently high standard.
Learners must carry out techniques with efficiency, by working systematically and
methodically when preparing petit fours, whilst also minimising waste throughout the
practical assessment. Learners must work at a pace that is representative of a real working
environment, completing the tasks within the timescales set.

Learners must carry out techniques with care and accuracy, ensuring that techniques used
are suitable for the petit fours being made. Learners will be highly accurate when measuring
ingredients and carrying out techniques, for example when tempering chocolate, learners will
know that the when using dark chocolate it has to be melted and brought to 118oF (48C)
(112oF (45C) for milk or white chocolate) and then removed from the bain-marie. Learners
will understand that if this is not done correctly the tempered chocolate won’t have a glossy
finish or have the distinctive ‘crack’ sound when the chocolate is snapped.

Learners must also carry out techniques with precision, for example when making
marshmallows learners will know that they need to add the gelatine carefully to the syrup as
it bubbles up, so as not to burn themselves. Learners should slowly add the hot syrup to the
egg whites while continually whisking, to ensure a thick and shiny mixture is achieved and
the gelatine is fully combined with the mixture. Learners should know that some additional
ingredients to the marshmallow mixture will need dusting in cornflour to help prevent them
from sinking to the bottom of the marshmallows.
Learners must produce the petit fours with precision portion sizing and portion control so the
yield is as expected.

D1 Create finished petit fours that reflect creativity and mastery of advanced
techniques

The final items must have a professional finished appearance suitable for the service
situation and are faultless in terms of presentation and finishing. The petit fours
produced are all identical in size, shape and finish. The finishing of petit fours is
exact and the icing, glazes or decorations used are well designed so a ‘wow’ factor is
created.

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D2 Justify the techniques used and make recommendations to own performance

Learners must be able to discuss their approach to the practical assessment and justify their
work plan. Learners will evaluate their ability to complete tasks within the allocated time and
how they performed under pressure. Learners will justify the tools and techniques used.
Learners will show that they understand how their performance has impacted on the overall
item including their skill level, the complexity of the items chosen and their ability to work in
an organised and professional manner. Learners will reflect on how recommendations for
improvements will improve the items. This could focus on the preparation methods, the
flavour combinations or the presentation of the finished items.

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Resources
The special resources required for this unit are access to a real or realistic working
environment which supports the provision of food production.

Recommended books:
Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry; Christophe Felder.
Professional Chef Level 3 Patisserie and Confectionery; Victor Ceserani and David Foskett.
Cengage Advanced Professional Chef Level 3 2nd Edition – ISBN 978-1-4080-6421-4.
Professional Patisseries for Level 2 and 3 Professional Chefs; Chris Baker, Mick Burke, Neil
Rippington – Hodder Education ISBN 978-1444196443.

Websites:
www.cengage.co.uk
www.cengagebrain.com

Delivery guidance
Teachers are encouraged to use innovative, practical and engaging delivery methods to
enhance the learning experience. Learners may benefit from:
 Meaningful employer engagement so they relate what is being learned to the real world
of work and understand commercial competence, equipment usage and dish
presentation
 Work experience within a professional kitchen so they can practise to hone their skills in
a real environment
 Using interactive information and technology systems and hardware so they can learn
about concepts and theories; research current trends; research product knowledge and
produce visual aids

Links with other units

This unit is closely linked with the following units:

UHC11M Food safety for catering

Food safety must be embedded into every practical session and learners must be able to
apply the theory of food safety to every day practices in the kitchen.

UHC93M Planning for preparing, cooking and finishing dishes

Planning is the key to success therefore learner will be required to create and follow a mise
en plan time plan for their practical assessments as included in this unit’s specifications. A
mise en place work plan should be use for every practical session and learners should be
able to implement and follow their mise en place work plan for the practical session.

Graded synoptic assessment

At the end of the qualification of which this unit forms part, there will be a graded synoptic
assessment which will assess the learner’s ability to identify and use effectively in an
integrated way an appropriate selection of skills, techniques, concepts, theories, and
knowledge from a number of units from within the qualification. It is therefore necessary and
important that units are delivered and assessed together and synoptically to prepare
learners suitably for their final graded assessment.

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