French Tuile Cookies
Crispy, paper-thin wafer cookies with a delicate, caramelized butter flavor. These showpiece-worthy treats require speed and precision, but the stunning curved shape impresses every time.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 145
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients
- 3 ounces unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg white
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- 1
Position two racks in your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a wooden spoon handle or dowel rod nearby — you'll use it to shape the warm cookies.
- 2
Cut 3 ounces of unsalted butter into small cubes and place in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully — brown butter darkens quickly. Pour into a small bowl and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 3
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 0.5 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg white, and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the mixture becomes pale and frothy — this incorporates air, which helps create the delicate crispness.
- 4
Sift 0.5 cup all-purpose flour into the egg mixture. Add the cooled brown butter and 0.25 teaspoon fleur de sel. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. The batter should be very smooth and pourable.
- 5
Sprinkle 0.33 cup sliced almonds evenly across both prepared baking sheets. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter directly onto the almonds, spacing them about 3 inches apart — the cookies will spread significantly. Use the back of a wet spoon to gently spread each dollop into a thin, roughly circular shape about 3 inches in diameter. The batter should be almost translucent at the edges.
- 6
Place both sheets in the oven on the two racks. Bake for 7-9 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the edges are deep golden brown but the very center is still pale. The cookies should look lacy and delicate — this is correct.
- 7
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Working immediately while the cookies are still hot and pliable, quickly lift one cookie with an offset spatula and drape it over your wooden spoon handle or dowel rod, pressing gently to create a curved tile shape. Hold for about 30 seconds until it firms up, then slide onto a cooling rack. Work fast — if a cookie hardens on the sheet, return it to the oven for 20 seconds to soften.
- 8
Repeat with remaining cookies. If you have a second spoon or rod, you can shape multiple cookies at once while others cool. Once all cookies have been shaped and cooled completely on the rack, they will be completely crisp. Store in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 days — moisture is the enemy of crispness.
Tools you’ll need
- two large baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wooden spoon handle or dowel rod
- small saucepan
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- fine-mesh sifter
- spatula
- offset spatula
- cooling rack
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for monitoring brown butter)
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