Daring Tuiles

I have just realised that the posting day was yesterday and I don't have my post up yet.. we are rather short of computers here currently as my little eeepc that you saw last month has had to go and get it's left mouse button fixed and so we have 4 people all wanting to use one computer, not a happy situation. I have a promise from my DH that he is going to build a couple more from all those parts he has boxed up !! This weekend I hope!

This is also my excuse for not doing my menu this week.. I started it and failed to finish.

Anyway on to the challenge

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

They gave us various versions including a nougatine version I may well try another time as it is automatically gluten free and even a savoury one. You really must check out some of the other Daring Bakers as some of them are just so artistic and imaginative. At the very least check out the versions our hosts this month did.

This recipe may be shorter and even quicker than many we did but it is not without it's challenges but it is a great one for showing off and adding flare to a meal !

So what did I get up to?

I tried the basic recipe but replaced the flour with hazelnut and coconut, both ground in my food processor. The resulting tuiles tasted great but I found them very difficult to shape. They were either to cooked or so soft they didn't hold together but i did get a couple of them to sort of roll into a tube. As you can see.. The bits in the background are my attempt to shape it over a small bowl!I made an apple fool to go with them , just apple puree made from bramley apples, honey and whipped cream but very delish !

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Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

Recipe:
Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour (I used hazelnut and coconut mixed)
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly. (I just spread the batter out into a rough shape. I tended to spread to about the same thickness however thick it started out at)

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. . Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones…. or give up and eat as shards like we did :)