January Daring Bakers Challenge: Vanilla Tuiles with Lemon Mousse Filling & Raspberry Peach Drizzle

I am so excited to post my very first Daring Bakers Challenge! I actually joined last month, but was unable to complete the challenge due to some unforseen circumstances.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day! and Zorra at 1x unruhren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angelique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I loved this challenge! It was a great one for a first, because it was simple, easy, and fun. It was also the first time I had made tuiles (pronounced "tweels"). Traditionally, tuiles are thin, crisp almond cookies that are gently molded over a rolling pin or arched form while they are still warm. Tuiles can be sweet or savory, so the possibilities with these are truly endless! If you are having some dinner guests over and need an impressive looking dessert, this one would be great to try.

But enough rambling, on to the recipe!

Vanilla Tuiles with Lemon Mousse Filling & Raspberry Peach Drizzle

Basic Vanilla Tuiles Ingredients:

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 / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. 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.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. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. 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 baking sheet 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.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, a broom handle, cups, cones.

Lemon Mousse Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
6 tablespoons butter, diced
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:

In a large, heavy bottomed stainless steel saucepan combine the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, egg, and butter. Over medium-high heat, whisk the mixture constantly until thickened. Strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice and chill, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Fold in the whipped cream, wrap with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.


Raspberry Peach Drizzle Ingredients:

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam (I used Smuckers Simply Fruit)
1 good glug Peach Schnapps (you can also substitute peach nectar)

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, and put in the microwave for 5-10 seconds, just enough to melt the jam a little bit. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a small plastic baggie, and snip a small piece of the corner off to make a piping bag. Use to decorate the plate and the tuiles after they are assembled.

Tuile Assembly Directions:

1. First, prepare your tuile batter and refrigerate.

2. While the batter is in the fridge, prepare your lemon mousse. Please note that it is very important to use a stainless steel bowl (I used my stainless steel bain marie) since you are working with eggs. If you do not have a stainless steel saucepan, I would cook the lemon juice/sugar mixture until the sugar dissolves, and use a little bit of that warm mixture to temper your eggs before adding them in. Otherwise, you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your mousse, which is what happened to me the first time.

3. Bake your tuiles. I used a sheet of parchment paper, and traced around a coffee cup to use as a guide. Then, I spread on my batter in a very thin, very even layer. I only baked two at a time, because after these things come out of the oven, they firm up quick and you want them to stay malleable. I used the handles of my pizza cutter and vegetable peeler to shape them around.

4. Once your tuiles are baked and shaped, fill them with lemon mousse using a piping bag or plastic baggie with corner snipped off.

5. Put them on a plate, then prepare your raspberry drizzle and drizzle over the tuiles.

6. Serve and enjoy!

These are wonderfully tart, sweet, and yummy. Raspberry and lemon is always a great combination!