How to Make Classic Tuiles: French Tuiles Recipe

A tuile (pronounced ‘tweel’) is a delicate wafer cookie with a satisfyingly crisp texture resulting from the high sugar and fat content of the batter. The cookie’s name comes from the French word for tile, as the traditional tuile shape is reminiscent of the curved roof tiles used on provincial French homes.

These simple cookies (which are composed of sugar, egg whites, butter, and flour) are molded while hot into a variety of different shapes like curved tiles, cones, wheels, or cannoli-shaped rolls. Tuiles are frequently served with coffee, used as a garnish for desserts, or formed into cups and cones for mousse, ice cream, and sorbet.

Tuiles are typically cooked as thin, round cookies that can be rolled into a variety of shapes when they are just out of the oven and still hot. Here are some of the most popular shapes for tuile cookies.

1. 1. Curved ‘roof tile’ tuile: The most traditional tuile shape is modeled after a curved roof tile that looks similar to a duckbill. This shape is formed by molding the hot cookie against a curved object like a rolling pin or wine bottle to create an arch.
2. 2. “Cigar” or rolled tuile: This shape of tuile, which is perfect for dunking into a warm beverage, is rolled tight into a long, cigar-like cylinder. You can roll tuile cigars freehand or use the handle of a wooden spoon to shape them. Cigar-shaped tuiles are commonly filled with chocolate or cream.
3. 3. Cup or bowl tuile: Bowl or cup-shaped tuiles are formed by draping the hot cookie over an inverted glass or bowl and allowing it to harden in that form.
4. 4. Cone-shaped tuile: Cone-shaped tuiles are formed by wrapping the hot cookie around a cone-shaped mold (like a small funnel) and pressing the edges together to fuse them together.
5. 5. Flat disk-shaped tuile: You can leave your tuile to cool on the baking sheet to flat to create a round, disk-shaped cookie. This shape of tuile is frequently used to garnish desserts like panna cotta and chocolate mousse.

Tuiles are relatively simple cookies to bake. They require few ingredients and don’t need to be baked for very long. However, there are a few tips you can follow to make the perfect, delicately shaped tuiles.

1. 1. Work in small batches. You need to shape your tuiles while they are still hot, so it’s important to bake and form the cookies in small batches of about six cookies. This will ensure that your fresh-from-the-oven tuiles will stay warm long enough for you to shape them.
2. 2. Use a nonstick surface. Tuile dough can be sticky due to its high sugar content. Baking your cookies on a flexible nonstick surface like a silicone mat will make removing the cookies easier. A silicone mat is preferred over parchment paper because the thickness of the base will help you avoid cracking the cookies as you remove them.
3. 3. Experiment with different fillings. The simplicity of tuiles makes them the perfect vessel for a wide range of fillings and toppings. Some delicious tuile fillings include pastry cream and fresh fruit, lemon curd and berries, and vanilla ice cream and fudge.
4. 4. Assemble your tuiles right before you eat them. The high sugar content of tuiles makes these cookies sponges for moisture. To avoid a soggy tuile, add any toppings to the cookie just before serving.
5. 5. Cool completely before storing. Given the delicate nature of tuiles, these fragile wafers must be stored properly. Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding them to a jar or other airtight container. The tuiles will keep fresh for up to a week if you store them with a moisture-sucking desiccant like rice.