If you are unsure why appetizers would be called little ovens, here is the answer for you. In 19th century France, there were no gas ovens. The breadmaker’s oven was the single type of oven during that time. It was a huge cabin made out of stone, underneath which one would lit a fire. These types of ovens took a long time to get going, became really hot for some time, and then took a long time to die. In addition, it didn't really have a knob one could turn to modify the heat. In fact, it only had two settings. The first setting was the grand four, big oven, where the fire was at its strongest. This setting was used when the roasts, the boars, the pigs, the beef ribs, the platters of vegetables and potatoes were placed in to bake. The second setting was the petit four, when the fire started to die out and the heat to weaken. This setting was used when one could bake individual pastries and bite-size appetizers to serve with tea. This is how these novelty foods were named petit fours, describing the way they were prepared.