Candy Corn Petit Fours

Growing up so close to Salem, MA, it only feels natural to incorporate Halloween into my baking throughout October. I think of candy corn as the official Halloween candy and decided to put my own spin on this ultra-sweet confection!

1 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
7 oz. almond paste
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
yellow and orange food coloring

For filling:
2/3 cup apricot jam and 2 Tbsp. amaretto, heated.

Glaze:
6 oz. dark choc.
1 tsp. corn syrup
1 stick butter

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter 3 8 in. cake pans and line with parchment. lightly flour.

2. Sift flour and salt, set aside.

3. Beat almond paste, sugar, and extract.

4. Add butter until all combined, then add 1 egg at a time until fully incorporated. Add flour in 3 parts.

5. Divide batter into 3 bowls. Add yellow food coloring to one, orange to the other, and leave the third plain.

6. Bake for about 12-15 min. Allow to cool completely. After removing cakes from pan, set up on a clean work surface and brush the plain cake with the heated jam. Invert the orange cake onto the plain one, and brush the top with more jam. Invert the yellow cake onto the orange. Place foil on top of the 3-layer cake and place a heavy baking dish on top. Add a few canned goods if you have them to compress the cake even more. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

7. Transfer the cake to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Combine the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a bowl and melt over a double-boiler. Carefully pour half the glaze over the cake. Place in the freezer to set. Once it's set, remove, invert onto clean parchment, the glaze the bottom. Freeze again until set. Trim cake and cut into desired sizes.