Recipe - Almond Tile Wafers (Tuiles Aux Amandes)

5 tablespoon Unsalted butter
One fourth cup (about 2 large) egg whites
1 pn Salt
Three fourths cup Plus
1 tablespoon Powdered sugar
One fourth teaspoon Almond extract
1/3 cup Plus
2 tablespoon Allpurpose or unbleached
white flour
One half cup Sliced unblanched almonds
(up to 2/3)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Very generously grease several baking sheets.
Set out several rolling pins, wine bottles, or other similarsized
cylinders for shaping wafers and lightly grease them. Warm butter in a
small saucepan over lowest heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to melt
and cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites and
salt with a wire whisk until frothy. Gradually sift in powdered sugar,
whisking until blended and smooth. Whisk in almond extract. Gradually sift
flour into mixture, whisking until very smooth and slightly thickened.
Whisk in the cooled butter. Drop 4 to 5 very small rounded teaspoonfuls of
batter onto a baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 One fourth inches apart. (Keep
the portions very small and don't crowd them as they spread a great deal.)
Using the tip of a table knife, and swirling in a circular motion, spread
each spoonful of batter into a 1 3/4inch round. Very generously sprinkle
cut or sliced up almonds all over each round.

Place on the top rack of the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the
wafers are rimmed with One half inch of brown. Reverse baking sheet from front
to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Remove baking sheet
from the oven and let stand for about 20 seconds. Begin gently testing the
edges of wafers with a spatula and as soon as they are firm enough to lift
without tearing, quickly loosen each from the sheet using a thinedged,
widebladed spatula. Immediately drape wafers over rolling pins or
cylinders. (If the last wafers on baking sheet cool too much while others
are being removed, return baking sheet to oven for 1 or 2 minutes to
rewarm. They may still be difficult to remove, however.) As soon as tuiles
are stiff, transfer from rolling pins to wire racks to cool thoroughly.
Cool, clean, and thoroughly regrease baking sheets before reusing. Repeat
with remaining batter. Store tuiles in an airtight container for up to a
week. Freeze for longer storage. Handle wafers gently as they are extremely
fragile. Makes about 30 3 to 3 1/2inch wafers.

Recipe and comments are from _The International Cookie Cookbook_ by Nancy
Baggett.

Posted to EATL Digest 09 Sep 96

From: Felicia Pickering MNHAN063@SIVM.SI.EDU

Date: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 23:19:27 EDT