These French sesame tuiles are crisp like a wafer! A delicious addition to any dessert or can be simply enjoyed with tea or coffee at the end of a meal.
Every Chef has a tuile cookie recipe in his/her repertoire. It comes in handy when you are missing a crispy element for a dessert. Tuiles are the perfect invention - the dough is easy to make and it can be stored in the fridge for days.
Simply bake them whenever you feel like eating them, they are best enjoyed still warm from the oven. Thin, golden, sweet and crunchy , these sesame tuile cookies are an elegant treat and can lift any dessert to the next level.
Jump to:
When it comes to flavours and toppings , there are no limits, but currently sesame is the winner for our tuiles!
WHAT ARE TUILES?
Tuile (pronounced 'tweels') is the French word for 'tile' and refers to the traditional shape of these super thin wafer cookies.
Even though I made the tuiles flat in this recipe, they can be curved into 'roof tiles' while still warm from the oven or any other shape you like.
why are they so crispy?
Tuiles are super thin and extra crispy, especially when made and eaten the same day. The secret to that crispness, is the ratio of sugar and fat to flour.
Unlike cookies that contain more flour, they are made with the right amount of sugar and butter and bound with only a small amount of flour.
INGREDIENTS FOR TUILES
Depending on flavours and toppings, the basic tuile dough only needs a few ingredients:
Butter unsalted butter works best. Leave the butter at room temperature as it will be easier to melt when required.
Icing sugar the sugar needs to completely dissolve when you make the tuile batter that's why we use Icing sugar as it melts easily when mixed into liquids.
Egg whites keep the egg whites when you make for example hollandaise sauce or tiramisu or vice versa. Eggs are best separated when still cold but should be kept at room temperature afterwards for this recipe.
Flour unbleached all purpose flour is needed to bind the tuile batter.
Sesame seeds I used black and white sesame seeds, they don't need to be toasted beforehand since they develop a wonderful flavour while baking.
TOOLS YOU NEED
Tuiles can be spread onto baking paper but I always prefer to use a silicon mat that can easily be purchased online and can be used for many other recipes.
Also, the high sugar content might make the tuiles stick to the baking paper.
Stencils can be made by yourself. Simply use any plastic lid and cut out the shape you want.
Mine is cut from a lid of a food take-away container. Not exactly round but hey, it doesn't have to be prefect!
HOW TO MAKE TUILES
The steps to make these sesame tuile cookies are easy enough, anyone can do it.
making the dough
The dough is simply prepared by mixing all the ingredients together.
Start by adding the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the egg whites and mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Now add the melted butter but make sure it is not too hot. Mix all the ingredients well, use a whisk if small lumps form.
Chill your batter for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before making the tuiles.
shaping the tuiles
Line a baking tray with a silicon mat and place the stencil on top. Spoon a small amount of the chilled batter inside the stencil.
Using a pastry spatula spread the dough evenly, as thin as possible inside the circle. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and carefully lift up the stencil.
Continue making until you have enough to start baking.
baking the tuiles
The tuiles are baked at a medium hot temperature at 165°C (325°F). I set my oven at 165°C for a nice golden brown colour. Set your oven a bit lower if you know that recipe's tend to come out a shade darker than intended in your oven!
Bake the tuiles in a pre heated oven somewhere between 8-12 minutes. I usually set my timer to 8 minutes but watch the last few minutes through the oven door until they get the perfect colour.
Remove the tray and let the tuiles cool down before you lift them. If you want to shape them into a cone or curved roof tile, you will have to work with them while they are still hot, in order to give them the desired shape.
Use a spatula or palette knife to carefully remove them from the baking mat. Shape them the way you want or just bite into them right away!
FAQ's
Tuile batter can be stored for a long time. The batter gets better with each day. However, I recommend storing the batter in the fridge, no longer than a week, just to be safe since it has egg in it.
They are best kept in a very airtight container, away from moisture. You can also add rice or a silicone packet into the container, to absorb any moisture.
The tuiles loose their crispness very fast due to their high sugar content. You can crisp them up by baking them in the oven for a few minutes or cooking them in a pan on low heat for a few seconds. Keep the sesame side facing up. They will first turn soft but then crisp up once they cool down
WHAT TO USE TUILES FOR
Tuiles make a great decoration for any dessert but they can also be eaten with just ice cream. One of our favourite's is eating these tuiles with lemon curd and berries - absolutely yum! An elegant usage of them is with our matcha panna cotta recipe, they just look stunning.
Some other ideas for you to try:
- Use them on top of this lemon cheesecake glass dessert, served with poached peaches
- Or with this dark chocolate mousse and coffee granita dessert
- You can also use it to garnish this velvety caramel mousse topped with pears
- Otherwise use as a decoration for this beautiful chocolate ganache tart
Did you enjoy our sesame tuiles recipe? We really hope you did because we would love for you to try making meringue decorations next with our step by step recipe.
Sesame Tuiles
Equipment
- silicon mat
- round stencil
- mixing bowl
- pastry spatula (palette knife)
Ingredients
- 65 gram all purpose flour
- 50 gram icing sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 65 gram unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp each black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the flour and icing sugar.
- Add the egg whites and mix well with a spoon or whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Now add the melted butter (making sure it is not too hot). Combine all ingredients into a smooth batter. Leave in the fridge to chill for atleast 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 165°C (325°F).
- Line a baking tray with a silicon mat and place the stencil on top. Spoon a small amount of the chilled batter inside the stencil.
- Using a pastry spatula spread the dough evenly as thin as possible inside the circle shape. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and then lift up the stencil.
- Bake the tuiles in the pre heated oven somewhere between 8-12 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the tuiles cool down. Lift them carefully from the baking tray using a pastry spatula. The tuiles are best eaten the same day.
Lucette
This sesame tuile is a delicious alternative to the common tuiles.
Renu
Very artistic and looking forward to trying them out.