Being a member of the Daring Bakers I am required to post my results of our monthly challenges. The first challenge of the year is for a healthier, lighter treat called a Tuile (yes, it's French!)

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. We were to pair the tuiles with something light; fruit, sorbet, mousse, etc.

I chose to follow Dutch Master Chef Angélique Schmeinck's recipe adding a sprinkle of honey roasted cashews and a scoop of low cal orange sherbet. While this recipe is very easy to put into execution, the real "difficulty" lies within the shaping process. The molding of a baked "Tuiles" isn't really problematic, however, the process is nonetheless a delicate one. I do not highly recommend this recipe because it tends to create a tuile that is crumblier than you want in order to properly shape it. However, you may like a crumblier tuile : ) I was forced to create a bowl shape because my original idea of creating a fortune cookie was a bomb not "da bomb" (meaning I took one look and thought, "Now that's just not pretty.")

Yields: 20 small butterfly tuiles/6 large (butterflies are just an example - I made a bowl)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes,
baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.1/4 ounces sifted all purpose flour
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice (I did not use)
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet (I used parchment)

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and 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. Your batter will be a thick paste consistency.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. I simply cut my stencil from a styrofoam plate.

Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes.
Here they are just before going into the oven.

Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. 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 (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet 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 or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.I shaped my tuiles overnight in ramekins.

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, cups, cones….

Here is a link to another daring baker who really had her tuile baking game on. Check it out!