Langues de Chat Recipe: Tips for Making Cat’s Tongue Cookies
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jul 26, 2024 • 3 min read
Sturdy enough to cut through a scoop of fresh ice cream yet delicate enough to melt in the mouth, a langue de chat is a simple statement cookie.
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What Is a Langue de Chat?
Langue de chat, French for “cat's tongue,” is a sweet, wafer-thin biscuit made from whipped egg whites, butter, flour, and sugar. This long, narrow cookie that resembles a ladyfinger has iterations around the world, though most of the recipes feature the traditional ingredient and look. Japan’s updated take on the classic dessert features two round langues de chat sealed together with a layer of white chocolate filling.
While the recipe for the classic cookie is minimal, bakers can add an array of toppings to customize the treat, including chopped nuts, a dusting of fine sugar or cocoa powder, or a coating of dark chocolate.
3 Tips for Making Langues de Chat
These melty, airy butter cookies are a snap to bring together and a perfectly light accompaniment to desserts like ice cream and sorbet or beverages like coffee, tea, and digestifs. Here are a few tips to consider when making your own batch of cat’s tongue cookies:
- 1. Experiment with different flavors. While they’re too thin to contain whole chocolate chips, the simplicity of langues de chat cookie batter lends itself to big flavors, whether bright lemon or orange zest, warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon, or herbal seasonings like thyme or lavender.
- 2. Build your own cookie sandwich. A popular option is to seal two langues de chat cookies with a layer of chocolate ganache, then dip one half in chocolate and coat it with finely crushed nuts (try pistachio, pecan, or hazelnuts), cacao nibs, or toffee.
- 3. Storage options. The buttery cookie has a short shelf life that bakers can extend slightly with proper storage. To keep langues de chat crisp, store them in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two days; after this period, they will lose their crispness.
What Are the Differences Between Langues de Chat and Ladyfingers?
While langues de chat closely resemble ladyfingers, there are some key distinctions between the two cookies. Ladyfingers are a light, crispy dessert made from a sponge cake batter, so the texture of this classic treat falls between that of a sponge cake and a biscuit.
On the other hand, langues de chat are denser, sharing a textural sensation with meringue, thanks to the high percentage of egg whites in the recipe.
Langues de Chat Recipe
makes
24 cookiesprep time
20 mintotal time
30 mincook time
10 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets (silpats) and set aside.
- 2
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl.
- 4
Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to the butter and beat until combined.
- 5
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- 6
Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about a ½ inch opening), and seal.
- 7
Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets in 3-inch lines, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- 8
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10–12 minutes, depending on your oven. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack with a thin spatula or palette knife to crisp up and cool completely.
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