I thought finding a recipe for tuiles would be easy, as they seem simple in ingredients and preparation. Surprisingly, expert sources I trust, such as ATK and NYT, don’t seem to cover them.
Since it’s one of my favorite treats, I collected and tested 13 recipes, compared them, and refined them to the most satisfying ratio.
The Recipe is Simple, But Perfection is Hard to Achieve
- Most tuile recipes have almost identical ingredients, differing only slightly in the amounts of sugar and butter, which made comparison and analysis straightforward.
- However, when I actually made them, the thin parts burned or crumbled, while the thicker parts stayed soft and soggy.
- Ultimately, to achieve a high-quality tuile, I had to focus on creating a consistent thickness and shape more than the recipe’s ratio itself.
📌 Golden Ratio Tuile Recipe
After lots of testing and trial-and-error, here’s the most satisfying formulation I’ve found:
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cake flour or AP flour | 50g | |
| Egg whites | 2 large | |
| Sugar | 70g | |
| Vanilla Extract | ½ tsp | |
| Butter | 50g | Use melted butter |
| Almonds | To taste | Must be toasted in advance |
| Salt | A pinch |
Note: The recipe is so simple and similar across sources that I’ve only organized the ingredient ratios here.
I’ll consider adding the recipe details (making process, baking temperature, cooling method, etc.) later if there is interest 😉
I Prefer Slivered Almonds
Most recipes use thinly sliced almonds, but after numerous tests, I chose slivered almonds.
Sliced almonds have a weak presence when eaten and are difficult to spread evenly over the batter. Slivered almonds, being thicker:
- Have a definitively better crunch (texture), and
- Do not overlap, making it much easier to spread them evenly over the batter.
Note: However, they absolutely must be toasted beforehand.
The real challenge: spreading it thin and evenly
Most recipes simply instruct, “Spread it lightly with the back of a spoon.” However, this method makes it difficult to achieve a uniform thickness.
- Thin parts quickly burn or break
- Thick parts become underbaked and soggy
- Resulting in a situation where half a batch is thrown away after baking.
To solve this problem, I decided to create a ‘template tool.’
Making the Tuile Template
Step 1: Thin plastic cutting board (works, but not ideal)
- I cut holes in a thin plastic cutting board and used it as a stencil.
- The shape was consistent, but it was too thin to maintain an even thickness.
- Trying to spread the batter just slightly higher than the board required too much effort and lacked precision.
Step 2: Thicker Cutting Board (half success)
- I bought a thick cutting board and made another one.
- This made it much easier to spread the batter evenly, and overall quality improved.
- However, I was left with a slight desire for it to be just a little thicker, perhaps by the thickness of a few sheets of paper.
Step 3: Custom Design with a 3D Printer
- I created a 3D model and was able to finely adjust the thickness to my exact preference.
- This resulted in the cleanest and most satisfying tool I have ever used.
- 📁 Download Tuile Template STL
⚠️ Caution: Depending on the printing method and material, there may be food safety concerns. Be sure to check the material, washability, and other factors before use.
📝 Final Thoughts
Tuiles, made with truly simple ingredients, become an elegant cookie when spread evenly to a consistent thickness. Thanks to the template, I can now make them without any waste.
💬 If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment!
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