Almond Tuiles
The secret to a proper tuile is the speed at which you work once they leave the oven. You have roughly ten seconds to curl them over a rolling pin before they set into their final, brittle shape.
Mind the residual heat.
Your oven must be fully preheated, and your shaping tools must be within arm's reach before the trays hit the oven racks.
- Silicone baking mat
- Offset spatula
- Rolling pin or wine bottle
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
What goes in.
- 3large egg whites
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
- 3 tbspunsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cupsliced almonds
- 1/2 tspvanilla extract
Uniformity is everything
Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter as thinly as possible until you see the texture of the silicone mat through the layer. If the batter is too thick, the cookie will be chewy rather than crisp.
The method.
Prepare the batter
Whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Fold in the flour and melted butter until smooth, then stir in the vanilla and almonds.
Portioning
Place a heaping teaspoon of batter onto the silicone mat. Use a damp offset spatula to spread it into a thin, three-inch circle.
Baking
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 7 to 9 minutes. The center should be pale while the edges become a deep, toasted amber color.
Shaping
Remove from the oven, wait five seconds, then lift each cookie with the spatula and drape it immediately over a rolling pin to set the curve.
Other turns to take.
Orange Zest
Add one teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the batter for a brighter finish.
Chocolate Dipped
Once cooled, dip the ends of the tuiles into melted dark chocolate and let them rest on parchment until set.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Work in small batches of four cookies at a time to ensure you can shape them before they harden.
If the cookies harden on the tray before you can shape them, return the tray to the oven for 30 seconds to soften them again.
Always use a silicone mat; parchment paper often causes the cookies to stick or cook unevenly.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cookies turn out chewy?
The batter was likely spread too thick or they were pulled from the oven before the edges reached a dark, toasted color.
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
Yes, but keep it at room temperature. If it chills, the butter will solidify and become difficult to spread into thin circles.
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