Ready for Dessert (39 page)

2 teaspoons sesame seeds (white, or a mix of black and white)

⅛ teaspoon flaky sea salt

FINANCIERS

⅔ cup (55 g) sliced almonds

½ cup (100 g) sugar

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

5 tablespoons (45 g) all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons green tea powder
(matcha)

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Big pinch of salt

Grated zest of ½ orange, preferably organic

½ cup (125 ml) egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) unsalted or salted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 24-cup mini muffin tin or similar-size molds (see Tips).

In a small bowl, mix together the 2 teaspoons sesame seeds and sea salt and sprinkle the muffin cups with two-thirds of the mixture.

To make the
financiers,
in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, pulverize the almonds, sugar, the 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, the flour, green tea, baking powder, salt, and orange zest until the nuts are finely ground. Add the egg whites and butter and pulse until the mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl or blender jar as needed to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups or molds, then sprinkle the tops with the remaining sesame-salt mixture. Rap the muffin tin or molds on the counter once or twice to release any air pockets and level the batter. Bake just until the
financiers
feel firm when gently pressed with a finger, about 12 minutes.

Let cool completely, then remove the
financiers
from the muffin cups or molds.

STORAGE:
The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking. Although
financiers
will keep for up to 1 week stored in a cookie tin, their crusts will soften, so I prefer to bake them on the day they’ll be served.

VARIATION:
For
GREEN TEA MADELEINES
, use 2 madeleine plaques (each with 12 shell-shaped molds) in place of the mini muffin tin and reduce the baking time to 11 minutes.

MAKES ABOUT 45 COOKIES

When I think of cookie cultures, Mexico doesn’t immediately spring to mind. However, there are Mexican wedding cookies, or
polvorones,
the nation’s answer to Scottish shortbread. Their delicate texture and mild sweetness make them
muy simpático
next to a bowl of
Sangria Sorbet
or
Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
.

1 cup (8 ounces/225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2¼ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour

Big pinch of salt

1 teaspoon water

1 cup (100 g) pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Powdered sugar, for coating the cookies

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Stir in half of the flour and the salt, then add the water. Mix in the remaining flour and the chopped pecans.

Using your hands, form the dough into 1-inch (3-cm) balls and place them about 1 inch (3 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies feel almost, but not quite, firm, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

Sift some powdered sugar into a bowl. Toss the cooled cookies a few at a time in the sugar until completely coated with a thick layer (there is relatively little sugar in the cookie dough, so be generous when coating them).

STORAGE:
The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Store the baked and sugar-coated cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

MAKES 60 COOKIES

This recipe is the result of a 12-year obsession. I first fell for these wispy cookies when I bought a startlingly pricey pack of them at an upscale gourmet store in America. When I moved to France, I was surprised how common these crackly cookies are. I was so excited—they were everywhere!

Have I mentioned that I’m obsessive? It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that I just had to come up with a recipe for the cookies myself. I checked the ingredients list on as many packages as I could get my hands on, and they certainly seemed simple enough. What followed was years of duds as I searched for ways to combine the mere handful of ingredients into the lightly caramelized
croquants
of my dreams.

Then, suddenly, one day, after a lot of trial and just as much error, I got it right. I wasn’t the only one pleased with the results: I left a sack for the highly opinionated French woman who cleans my apartment, and arrived home later to find a little note that read
“
EXTRA DELICIEUX. Merci
,
David!
”

1 cup (200 g) sugar

5½ tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (60 ml) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)

Pinch of salt

¾ cup (90 g) almonds or hazelnuts, toasted and very coarsely chopped (see Tip)

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (I don’t recommend using silicone baking mats for this recipe as the
croquants
won’t be as crisp.)

In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and flour, then stir in the egg whites and salt until smooth. Stir in the almonds or hazelnuts.

Drop level teaspoons of batter at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies are toasty brown in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

STORAGE:
The batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. Let it come to room temperature before spooning and baking. Store the baked
croquants
in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

MAKES 20 COOKIES

These lacy cookies have an exotic appeal thanks to the tiny sesame seeds inlaid in the surface, as well as the spoonful of sesame oil in the batter that adds a toasty sesame scent. Black sesame seeds make the
tuiles
especially striking. They’re great paired with tropical fruit desserts such as
Passion Fruit-Tangerine Sorbet
or
Tropical Fruit Soup with Coconut Sherbet and Meringue
. Like the Pecan-Butterscotch Tuiles they can be shaped into tubes or cookie cups.

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces/45 g) unsalted or salted butter

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

Grated zest of 1 orange, preferably organic

10 tablespoons (135 g) sugar

¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (60 g) unblanched or blanched sliced almonds

2 tablespoons (40 g) white sesame seeds

1½ teaspoons black sesame seeds (see Tip)

In a small saucepan, warm the butter, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, almonds, and white and black sesame seeds. Let the batter rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (Don’t use silicone baking mats because the cookies may be difficult to remove.) Set a rolling pin for shaping the
tuiles
on a folded dish towel to steady it and have ready a wire rack.

Drop level tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheets, placing only 4 on each sheet and spacing them evenly apart. Slightly flatten the batter with dampened fingers.

Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies are evenly browned, 8 to 9 minutes.

Let cool briefly, about 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, lift each cookie off the baking sheet and drape it over the rolling pin. (If the cookies cool and harden before you have time to shape them, they can be softened by putting them back in the oven for 30 to 45 seconds.) Let cool on the rolling pin, then transfer the
tuiles
to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the
tuiles
within a few hours of baking.

STORAGE:
The batter can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can store the baked
tuiles
in an airtight container until ready to serve later the same day.

MAKES ABOUT 12 COOKIES

This recipe is much easier to make than conventional
tuiles
because the batter isn’t as fussy and it doesn’t need to be painstakingly spread out on a baking sheet with a spatula. The heat of the oven takes care of the spreading, making sure that the cookies expand to the right dimensions as they bake. No, unfortunately, the oven can’t mix up the batter for you, but maybe in a few years kitchen technology will make that an option.

The cookies can be coaxed into an endless variety of shapes warm out of the oven—they can be curled over a rolling pin for traditional
tuiles,
wrapped around the handle of a wooden spoon into cigar-like tubes, or molded over the bottom of an overturned teacup into nifty cookie cups for holding ice cream. You’ll have to do that part yourself, too, but then again, why let your oven have all the fun?

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) unsalted or salted butter

¼ cup (60 g) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (30 g) pecans, toasted and very finely chopped

6 tablespoons (60 g) all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (Don’t use silicone baking mats because the cookies may be difficult to remove.) Set a rolling pin for shaping the
tuiles
on a folded dish towel to steady it and have ready a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, warm the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the pecans and flour.

Drop level tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheets, placing only 4 on each sheet and spacing them evenly apart. Slightly flatten the batter with dampened fingers.

Bake one sheet at a time, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies are deep golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Let cool briefly, about 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, lift each cookie off the baking sheet and drape it over the rolling pin. (If the cookies cool and harden before you have time to shape them, they can be softened by putting them back in the oven for 30 to 45 seconds.) Let cool on the rolling pin, then transfer the
tuiles
to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the
tuiles
within a few hours of baking.

STORAGE:
The batter can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can store the baked
tuiles
in an airtight container until ready to serve later the same day.