Sift the ground almonds and caster sugar into a bowl.
55 g ground almonds, 42 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Whisk the egg white in another large bowl using an electric hand whisk, until it has stiff peaks.
1 egg white
Fold the ground almond and sugar mixture into the egg white, with the vanilla extract.
½ tsp vanilla extract
Put the mixture in a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe shapes onto a lined baking tray, allowing space between them.
Bake at 180℃ / 350℉ for 13-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush with a mixture of two tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon of sugar. Allow to cool.
A little milk and sugar to glaze
Notes
Makes 10 small biscuits, double the quantities for a larger batch
Adapted from Baking 2, Cordon Bleu, 1971
I didn't add any further decoration to my petit fours but typically they are decorated by adding either almond slices, glace cherries or angelica on the top.