They accompanied tea parties, sitting aloft on three-tiered silver platters alongside miniature cucumber sandwiches. Fancy ladies, in elegant ballooning skirts that draped across the arms of chairs and trailed to the floor in seas of satin and velvet, would pinch them between thumb and forefinger, feigning consumption.

Petits fours — pitiful in size, a food for the rich, a food for the dainty. Long have they held an air of storybooks and bygone eras. Now, they are come to life.

Inspired by the universally adored olive oil cake from Abraço, an espresso bar in the East Village not far from my former apartment, I put a slightly modern spin on this historical tea snack. Topped with candied lemons, they glimmer with a sheen of inedibility.

Lemon & Olive Oil Petits Fours

For the cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup soy creamer
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon zest

For the filling

1/2 cup soy creamer or heavy cream
1 cup white chocolate chips

For the glaze

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 cup soy creamer or heavy cream
1 tsp light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients with a fork. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, creamer, oil, and zest. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated.

Line a rimmed 12x17 baking sheet with parchment and pour in batter. Smooth out evenly, and place on the upper-middle rack of your oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

Make the filling: Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it bubbles, stirring constantly. Place chocolate chips in a large glass or metal bowl. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 2 minutes. Stir mixture until smooth and allow to cool until it thickens to the consistency of frosting.

Once the cake is cool, lift parchment and cake out of the pan and place on the counter. Cut cake in half crosswise. Spread filling on one half of the cake, and place the other half on top. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Next, trim edges of cake to create a perfect rectangle, then cut into 2-inch squares. Refrigerate another 20 minutes.

Make the glaze: Gradually add cream to powdered sugar until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream. Stir in corn syrup.

Dip cake squares into the glaze until well coated and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all squares are coated, refrigerate another 20 minutes until set. Top with candied lemon slices, if you so choose.

Candied Lemon Slices

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Heat water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is simmering lightly. Add lemon slices and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent. Drain on a paper towel, then transfer to a wire rack or plate to dry.