Baking with Success

Tuiles or Decorative Wafer Cookies

Makes approximately 14-16 tuiles depending on the size

2 large egg whites

½ cup superfine sugar

½ cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons heavy cream

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg whites and sugar on medium speed until foamy.

3. On low speed, add the flour and blend well. Stop the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl down using a rubber spatula.

4. Add the butter and cream to the flour mixture and blend until well combined. The batter can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

5. Remove about 1 ½-2 tablespoons of batter and place it into a small bowl. Using a spoon, blend in the teaspoon of cocoa powder. This darker batter can be used to pipe onto the light batter to add some decorative detail to the tuiles before they are baked.

To Create Edible Bowls

1. Place a silicone baking mat over the bottom of an overturned sheet pan of the same size. Place about 1 tablespoon of batter onto the mat over to one side. Using a small offset spatula, spread the batter to a 5-6 inch rough circle. Drop another tablespoon of batter onto the other side and spread it out to create another circle of the same size. You will only be able to bake 2 cookies at a time.

2. Place the darker batter into a small pastry bag fitted with a small plain pastry tip.

3. Pipe a dark line around the perimeter of each circle.

4. Bake the circles at 350°F for 9-10 minutes rotating the pan every 3 or 4 minutes until they are light brown. Watch to make sure the tuiles do not become too brown.

5. Remove from the oven and using a small ice cream or cereal bowl or even an overturned ramekin, gently and carefully place one of the warm tuiles upside down over the bowl or ramekin shaping it into a bowl shape. Keep it in place until the tuile cools and hardens. Repeat with the other circle over another ramekin. You should now have 2 edible bowls.

6. Repeat making more circles with batter and decorating them with the darker batter. Bake them off and shape, repeating to get as many bowls as you need.

7. Keep tuile bowls in an airtight, cool, dry container for up to three days.

To Create Other Tuile Shapes like Spoons, Flowers, Etc.

Tuile molds or stencils are easily purchased from baking suppliers online.

1. Lay a silicone baking mat over an overturned sheet pan of the same size.

2. Lay a tuile mold on top of the silicone mat. Pour some batter over the mold and keeping the mold in place spread the batter using a large offset spatula so that the batter thinly covers the mold completely.

3. Gently peel the mold off the silicone mat.

4. Using the darker batter outline each tuile piping decorations as you desire.

5. Bake the tuile or tuiles at 350°F or 6-9 minutes rotating the sheet pan every 3 or 4 minutes until they are a very, light brown. Do not allow the tuiles to get too brown.

6. Using a clean offset spatula, gently peel the tuile off the mat and shape it as you wish or place it onto a clean sheet pan covered with wax paper.

Note

Superfine sugar can be found in most grocery stores or online. It is just granulated sugar that is finely ground so that it dissolves more quickly.

For a video featuring a recipe similar to this one, please see my YouTube channel: Chef Gail Sokol. https://youtu.be/r9Sq5OEFUBk