The holiday season brings out the baker in many of us, and cookies are a special pleasure of the season. These crisp, thin cookies would make a special addition to your cookie repertoire.
With their characteristic curved shape, tuiles aux amandes resemble the terra cotta roof tiles that are ubiquitous in southern France. Hence the name tuiles (tiles). To achieve the curve, you set the cookies over a rolling pin (or a similar cylinder, such as a wine bottle) immediately after baking while the cookies are still soft. The cookies drape over the rolling pin and crisp up as they cool. You have to act quickly, but if the cookies firm too quickly, you can return them to the oven for a few minutes to soften.
The recipe calls for egg whites rather than whole eggs. When I have leftover egg whites—after making ice cream or crème caramel, for example—I like to put the whites to good use and make almond tile cookies.
Delicate and light, these cookies are a classic accompaniment to ice creams, sorbets, and custard desserts. I hope they will become one of your family’s holiday traditions!
Ingredients
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of fine salt
1/4 cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sliced almonds
Preparation
1. Position rack in center of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 or more baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Spread the slivered almonds in a small baking pan, and toast until fragrant and light golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
3. Place the flour, salt and cooled slivered almonds in a food processor or blender, and process until the almonds are ground.
4. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until blended. Sprinkle in the flour mixture and fold with a flexible spatula until smooth. Working in batches, drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets; spread into 3-inch rounds with the back of a spoon or off-set spatula. Sprinkle each with about 1½ teaspoons of the sliced almonds.
5. Place a rolling pin near the oven. Bake, one baking sheet at a time, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately loosen the cookies with a metal spatula, and drape them over the rolling pin. Gently press the cookies around the rolling pin so they curl nicely. Once cool, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. (If the cookies become too firm to curl, return them to the oven for a few minutes to soften.)
Yield: about 30 cookies
Per serving, 2 cookies each: Calories: 110. Total fat: 7 grams. Saturated fat: 2 grams. Cholesterol: 10 milligrams. Sodium: 10 milligrams. Carbohydrate: 10 grams: Fiber: 1 gram. Sugars: 7 grams (added: 6 grams). Protein: 3 grams.
—Patsy Jamieson