Tuiles aux amandes

Makes: 24 tuiles
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes per batch

Since I was a child, I’ve always loved almond tuiles, the cookies that take their name from the roof tiles whose shape they resemble. But not just any tuiles: they have to be large-sized, smothered with almonds and, most importantly, nicely browned. I’ve treasured the recipe I give you here for many years, because it has all the elements I’m so fond of. It reminds me of the many times I would go out with my parents to enjoy an ice cream at a famous Parisian ice cream parlour. The bowls always came garnished with a large tuile. Since then, I’ve been making almond tuiles to serve with my ice creams and sorbets.

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup (5 oz/140g) beaten egg whites (about 5 egg whites)
• 2⅔ cups (9 oz/250g) sliced (flaked) almonds
• 1 cup minus 3 tbsp (5½ oz/160g) sugar
• 3 tbsp (1 oz/30g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp (2 oz/50g) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1In a large mixing bowl, place the sliced almonds, sugar, and flour and stir to combine. Stir in the egg whites.

2Pour the butter into the mixture. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the almonds are evenly distributed. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

4Drop the mixture by tablespoons on the prepared sheet, no more than 6 per sheet. Flatten each small heap of dough with the back of a fork or spoon to make it as thin as possible, shaping them into ovals. The finer and smoother the tuiles are, the more regularly they will bake and the more evenly they will colour.

5Bake the tuiles for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping a careful eye on them. When finished, the tuiles should be nicely golden both in the centre and around the edges. Remove the sheet from the oven and use a spatula to remove each of the tuiles.

6Immediately drape them over a rolling pin to give them their final curved shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.

7The trick is to remove the tuiles as quickly as possible from the sheet because they cool and firm up very fast. The tuiles are best eaten the day they are made, but if you must keep them for a day or two, place them in an airtight container once fully cooled, since they don’t react at all well to moisture.

8If your tuiles do soften a little, just pop them into a 340°F (170°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes. They will soften and become malleable again, and you’ll be able to return them to their proper shape.

This comes courtesy of Taste of France Issue Two. For more great recipes, food news and interviews with top chefs, buy your copy here!