I learned to make this in Normandy, the home of Calvados - and it is a permanent item in my freezer. Such a good standby if no-one fancies a pudding, but wants something refreshing at the end of a meal.
275g sugar
575 ml water
Pared rind and juice of 1 large lemon
Half of one egg white
2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy)
Heat the sugar and water gently in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon rind and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 2 minutes and then cover and leave to cool
Remove the lemon rind from the pan and strain in the lemon juice. Pour the liquid into a large shallow freezer-proof dish and freeze for approx 30 minutes or until it begins to freeze at the edges.
Whisk egg white until stiff. Tip the partially frozen mix into a cold bowl, whisk briefly to break up the ice crystals. Add the Calvados and gently fold in the egg white using a cold metal spoon. Return to the freezer dish and freeze until firm.
Tuile
Tuile are French almond biscuits which are curved to look like a French roof tile.
100g flaked almonds
50g blanched, whole almonds
50g unsalted butter (room temp)
100g caster sugar
2 egg whites
2 oz plain flour
Pinch salt
Preheat the grill (?US-broiler) Place all the almonds under grill to toast until evenly browned. Leave to cool then crush the flaked almonds and cut the whole ones into slivers.
Cream the butter and sugar until the mix is light and fluffy. Stir in the gg whites and blend well. Lightly stir in the flour, crushed almonds and salt to make a very soft mixture. Cover and put in the fridge for about 1-1.5 hours.
Preheat oven to gas mark 6/400F. Butter to large baking sheets and oil a rolling pin.
Drop teaspoons of the almond mix on 1 baking sheet (or both if you have an oven large enough to take both trays at once! – but I normally have to do this in 2 ‘bakes’), spacing well apart as mix spreads. Flatten lightly with a fork dipped in cold milk, then sprinkle with slivered almonds. Lower the oven temp to Gas mark 5, 375F and bake for 5-8 minutes until the edges start to colour to light brown.
Immediately the biscuits are removed from the oven, lift one at a time with a spatula and quickly roll around the rolling pin to shape the tile. Should biscuits (cookies) harden before you have time to do this – just stick back in the oven for a couple of minutes to allow them to become flexible once more.
Leave to cool on wire racks. Can be stored in an airtight container for about a week.
I serve this with a little warmed apple compote and garnished with fresh mint leaves.
I have also made these into ‘tulipes’ – by moulding the hot tuile around a small orange and when cool, filling with sorbets or ice-cream.
275g sugar
575 ml water
Pared rind and juice of 1 large lemon
Half of one egg white
2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy)
Heat the sugar and water gently in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon rind and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 2 minutes and then cover and leave to cool
Remove the lemon rind from the pan and strain in the lemon juice. Pour the liquid into a large shallow freezer-proof dish and freeze for approx 30 minutes or until it begins to freeze at the edges.
Whisk egg white until stiff. Tip the partially frozen mix into a cold bowl, whisk briefly to break up the ice crystals. Add the Calvados and gently fold in the egg white using a cold metal spoon. Return to the freezer dish and freeze until firm.
Tuile
Tuile are French almond biscuits which are curved to look like a French roof tile.
100g flaked almonds
50g blanched, whole almonds
50g unsalted butter (room temp)
100g caster sugar
2 egg whites
2 oz plain flour
Pinch salt
Preheat the grill (?US-broiler) Place all the almonds under grill to toast until evenly browned. Leave to cool then crush the flaked almonds and cut the whole ones into slivers.
Cream the butter and sugar until the mix is light and fluffy. Stir in the gg whites and blend well. Lightly stir in the flour, crushed almonds and salt to make a very soft mixture. Cover and put in the fridge for about 1-1.5 hours.
Preheat oven to gas mark 6/400F. Butter to large baking sheets and oil a rolling pin.
Drop teaspoons of the almond mix on 1 baking sheet (or both if you have an oven large enough to take both trays at once! – but I normally have to do this in 2 ‘bakes’), spacing well apart as mix spreads. Flatten lightly with a fork dipped in cold milk, then sprinkle with slivered almonds. Lower the oven temp to Gas mark 5, 375F and bake for 5-8 minutes until the edges start to colour to light brown.
Immediately the biscuits are removed from the oven, lift one at a time with a spatula and quickly roll around the rolling pin to shape the tile. Should biscuits (cookies) harden before you have time to do this – just stick back in the oven for a couple of minutes to allow them to become flexible once more.
Leave to cool on wire racks. Can be stored in an airtight container for about a week.
I serve this with a little warmed apple compote and garnished with fresh mint leaves.
I have also made these into ‘tulipes’ – by moulding the hot tuile around a small orange and when cool, filling with sorbets or ice-cream.
