Since this season usually makes me crave things that sit in the stomach like a hibernating bear, it was actually a refreshing change to try baking these lighter-than-air tuile cookies for the Daring Bakers Challenge.  Even better, I got to dust off the old ice cream machine to pair them with a sweet and summery sorbet, blocking out all thoughts of the nasty snow right outside my windows.

With tuile, it seems that the challenge is both in the baking, and the forming.  The thin batter can be spread through a stencil to create the outline, and then the cookies are bent over a round surface to give them some shape.  I based my stencils on my favorite pair of earrings, these little flying sparrows. Laying them out over a rolling pin gave them a vaguely flying shape that I loved.

I tried to come up with something vaguely sky-like to pair them with, and found a bag of frozen blueberries in the back of the freezer.  The deep purple is more night than daytime, but a quick hit of limoncello still gave me the feeling of the sun.

Though the tuiles did turn out crispy and a nice pairing for the tart-sweet of the sorbet, it would have to be quite the grand occasion for me to attempt them again – perhaps for my next garden-party soiree.  The sorbet, however, is going into permanent freezer rotation.

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. Read the recipes after the break!

Tuille Cookies
Adapted from “The Chocolate Book”, by Angélique Schmeinck
Yields: 20 2-3 inch cookies

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar (about 7 grams)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

equipment:
mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper, offset spatula, round forms (rolling pins, wine bottles, etc)

1. Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar into a paste on low speed. Add the egg whites one at a time until well incorporated.  Add the flour gradually and continue beating until the batter comes together into a paste, being careful not to overmix.

2. Chill the batter for 30 minutes. Use this time to make your stencils (if you want) – taking a thick piece of plastic, or thin piece of cardboard, cut out your desired shape.
If you’re using cardboard, either make several, or cover it with saran wrap.

3. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and chill briefly in the fridge. Press the stencil against the baking sheet and spread a thin layer of the batter overtop – enough to just cover the paper. leave 1-2 inches between cookies.

3. Bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.  Slide the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto a wire rack for a moment until cool enough to touch, then peel the cookies away either with a spatula or by gently pulling the paper off the back. Lay the cookies over the round form and gently push edges to form the curve. Let cool completely before removing from the form.

Blueberry Limoncello Sorbet

1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
about 3 cups of thawed frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons limoncello

equipment:
saucepan, ice cream maker

1. Heat the sugar, water and salt in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the blueberries and limoncello and remove from heat. Let cool about 10 minutes.

2. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. Strain into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve, pressing the pulp to extract all the juices.

3. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to it’s directions. For a firmer texture, freeze in a separate container for a while before serving.