Terrific Tuiles! Another Daring Bakers Challenge!

 

I love the Daring Bakers Challenges!  I have made many fancy desserts in the past, but this group is introducing me to baking I have not attempted before.  That’s because I thought the recipes were daunting and beyond the capabilities of my domestic kitchen.   Thanks to the founders, Lisa and Ivonne for creating this group and for keeping us in line!  You rock! 

I was at first hesitant about making tuiles because they look so delicate and finicky.  My friend, Chantal, who has made every fancy culinary treat under the sun, convinced me that there was nothing to them.  Easy for you to say, my Belgian princess -  you were raised on Godiva chocolates, truffles and Hermes scarves!

Tuiles (or cornets) are traditionally thin, crispy almond cookies that are molded over a rolling pin or mold while still hot.  Once cooled, the tuiles resembled the curved French roofing tiles for which they are named. 

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.

After sifting through the eight page DB document, I decided that I was going to make the savory tuiles from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook.  Once the butter softened up a little, the batter was sooo easy to make - it took just a few minutes.  I decided on an accompaniment of shrimp  with a light sour cream filling.   We were told to think light, in opposition to the extravagant Yule Log we baked in December (if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean!).

Here are the recipes:

Savory Tuiles/Cornets
From Thomas Keller "the French Laundry Cookbook" 

My changes are in italics

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (65 grams/2.1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (= 2/3 teaspoon table salt) I would use less, about 1/2 teaspoon
8 tablespoons (114 grams/4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
2 large egg whites, cold
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter until it is completely smooth and mayonnaise-like in texture. Using a stiff spatula or spoon, beat the egg whites into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated and smooth. Whisk in the softened butter by thirds, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary and whisking until the batter is creamy and without any lumps. Transfer the batter to a smaller container, as it will be easier to work with.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make a 4-inch hollow circular stencil (I used the cardboard back of a notepad and cut a 4.5” circle). Place Silpat on the counter (it is easier to work on the Silpat before it is put on the sheet pan). Place the stencil in one corner of the sheet and, holding the stencil flat against the Silpat, scoop some of the batter onto the back of an offset spatula and spread it in an even layer over the stencil. Then run the spatula over the entire stencil to remove any excess batter. After baking the first batch of tuiles/cornets, you will be able to judge the correct thickness. You may need a little more or less batter to adjust the thickness of the tuiles/cornets.

I was able to fit 3 tuiles (which measured 4.5” in diameter each) on a 11x17 silpat:

There should not be any holes in the batter. Lift the stencil and repeat the process to make as many rounds as you have molds or to fill the Silpat, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cornets.  Sprinkle each tuile/cornet with a pinch of black sesame seeds. 
Place the Silpat on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the batter is set and you see it rippling from the heat. The tuiles/cornets may have browned in some areas, but they will not be evenly browned at this point.
Open the oven door and place the baking sheet on the door.  This will help keep the tuiles/cornets warm as you roll them and prevent them from becoming too stiff to roll. Flip a tuile/cornet over on the sheet pan, sesame seed side down and place 4-1/2 inch tuile/cornet mold at the bottom of the round. If you are right-handed, you will want the pointed end on your left and the open end on your right. The tip of the mold should touch the lower left edge (at about 7 o'clock on a clock face) of the cornet.
Fold the bottom of the cornet and around the mold; it should remain on the sheet pan as you roll. Leave the cornet wrapped around the mold and continue to roll the cornets around molds; as you proceed, arrange the rolled cornets, seams side down, on the sheet pan so they lean against each other, to prevent from rolling. 

I carefully lifted each tuile and draped it over an aluminum mold similar to a cupcake mold turned upside down.   This is the result when cooled:

When all the tuiles/cornets are rolled or shaped, return them to the oven shelf, close the door, and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to set the seams and color the cornets a golden brown. If the color is uneven, stand the cornets on end for a minute or so more, until the color is even. Remove the cornets from the oven and allow to cool just slightly, 30 seconds or so.
Gently remove the tuiles/cornets from the molds and cool for several minutes on paper towels. Remove the Silpat from the baking sheet, wipe the excess butter from it, and allow it to cool down before spreading the next batch. Store the tuiles/cornets for up to 2 days (for maximum flavor) in an airtight container.

And here’s my recipe for the filling:

Sautéed Shrimp with Sour Cream Wasabi Mousse

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon wasabi paste (green Japanese horseradish in a tube)

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion (plus a little more for garnish)

1 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper (plus a little more for garnish)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 jumbo shrimp, deveined, tails intact.

Salt, pepper, chili powder, olive oil

For the mousse:  Whip cream until it starts to hold its shape.  Add sour cream, wasabi and whip until thick and well-blended.  Fold in green onion, red pepper and black pepper.   Place in a piping bag fitted with a large tip (or just cut the end off the bag) and refrigerate until ready to fill the tuiles.

For the shrimp: Dry shrimp and sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili powder to taste.  Sauté in a little olive oil until cooked.  Cool slightly.

To assemble, place cooled tuiles on a serving plate.  Pipe about 2 tablespoons or so in each tuile.  Place shrimp on the edge of mousse and garnish with chopped green onion and chopped red pepper.

Then, impress your guests, including Chantal! I wish you were here to try them!

 

Now that I’m a tool for tuiles, I’m going to try the sweet versions as well and report back to you!

Prijatno!