Daring Bakers, January 2009 - Tuiles

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen aka Baking Soda 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's Finest Desserts.

Tuiles
(recipe taken from The Chocolate Book, by Angélique Schmeinck)

65 grams softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 bag vanilla sugar (substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams sifted flour
cocoa powder and/or food coloring of choice

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) 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.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven on 180°C for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet 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. You could also place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones...