Almond Tuiles
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2/3 cup slivered or flaked blanched almonds
Introduction:
The curved roof tiles, called tuiles, on the farmhouses of southern France are the inspiration behind these curved almond cookies. Shaping them is the trickiest part of the recipe, but a little practice will make the process easier and easier. It is also true that the cookies taste just as good when they are flat.
Makes about 24.
Total time: 40 minutes.
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease two baking sheets.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the flour with the salt, and stir in the almonds.
Step 3:
Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto one of the baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for spreading. Flatten each drop with a wet fingertip before putting the baking sheet in the oven.
Step 4:
Bake 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave for a few moments to cool on the baking sheet.
Step 5:
While the cookies are still warm and pliable, carefully lift each one with a spatula and drape it over a rolling pin to give it the characteristic curved shape. Leave for a minute to harden, then carefully remove and finish cooling on racks. (To make yourself more comfortable with this process, start with just three cookies in the first batch; you will soon get the rhythm of removing and handling the hot tuiles in time to shape them.) Store the cooled cookies in airtight containers.