"Tuile" We Meet Again

For a colleague's leaving party, we were asked to contribute something French since she's moving to Paris. I got out my reliable SIMPLE FRENCH COOKING (Lorenz Books (c) 1995, 2008) and found "tuiles d'Amandes," simple cookies named after the French roof tiles they resemble. It called for me to cream the butter with an electric mixer. Every time I've done that, I seem to lose all the moisture in the butter. So, I checked JOY OF COOKING for their recipe and, since it used melted butter, I went with that one. Merveilleuse, if I do say so myself! To get the perfect shape, you need to wrap the warm cookie around a thin rolling pin, like a baton, these didn't have as much curve as I would've liked. But they kept in an air-tight container for 2 1/2 days...fresh, fragrant...delicieux!

From JOY OF COOKING 7th Anniversary Edition (c) 2006
About 30 3-inch wafers (I always have trouble making the yield JOY... gives; this made 18 3-inch wafers)

The trick is to work quickly using a wide spatula with a very thin blade.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease or line 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or silicone liners. Have ready several rolling pins or bottles about the same size to shape the wafers.

Coarsely chop and set aside:
1/2 to 2/3 cup sliced almonds blanched or unblanched
Whisk together in a medium bowl until forthy:
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
(1/4 teaspoon almond extract)
Gradually whisk in:
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted (I used all-purpose flour, with no repercussions)
Whisk in until well blended and smooth:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Drop by heaping measuring tablespoonsfuls about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Using a small metal spatula, work in a circular motion, spreading each portion into a 3-inch round. (The batter was thin; it spread perfectly by itself.) Sprinkle with the nuts.

Bake until golden brown around the edges, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand for a few seconds. Working quickly, lay the cookies, bottom side down, over the rolling pins or bottles, and let cool completely. If some of the wafers cool too quickly to shape them, return the sheet to the oven briefly to warm and soften them.