LANGUES DE CHAT - FRENCH BUTTERY BISCUIT !!!

Langues de chat French biscuits, they are buttery biscuits.   It is perfect for teatime treat and kids snack box.  There are umpteen number of ways you can turn this simple cookie to gourmet cookie.  They should be golden and crisp around the edges and little pale in the center.  It is easy to make with few ingredients.  Here are few possible variation you can make with the base recipe. 

Shapes: They can be made long, thin, round, broad, piped using cookie press. Personally I love to do this cookie in the shape I posted today.
Flavorings: It can be flavored with your favorite flavoring like orange zest, lemon zest, cardamom, vanilla, lavender, Cinnamon, almond extract, chocolate and coffee the way you like.
Decorate: Drizzle with white and dark chocolate, dipped in chocolate and dusted with ground pistachio, almonds, hazelnut, cocoa nibs etc.  Sandwich the cookie using chocolate, lemon curd or Jam 
Served: It can be served with any glass desserts like mousse, sorbet, sherbet, soufflé, Possets, custard etc. and also perfect for dunking in your coffee or chai :) It can be served with Lemon curd or even Jam.

Here is my take on the recipe! Enjoy making!

LANGUES DE CHAT

You can make around 140 small cookies for the below measurement again depends on the size and piping tip you use. I divided the ingredients to 2 equal parts and made 2 variation. 

Here is the Basic recipe for Langues de chat from Claire Clark's Book :)
 

Ingredients :

All-purpose flour - 175g
Egg whites - from 2 eggs
Icing sugar - 125g
Unsalted butter - 125g
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp (if using, can be substituted with your favorite flavors as well)

Extra butter and flour for greasing and dusting the baking sheets.

I divided the above ingredients into 2 and made 2 variations

1. Added 1/2 tsp orange zest
2. For chocolate version added 2 tbsp cocoa powder and remove 2 tbsp flour from the above given measurement.

I used tempered chocolate for dipping the above finished cookie. 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 f.
2. Prepare 2 large baking sheets by greasing them with melted butter.  Put it in the fridge to firm and dust it with little flour before baking.
3. Take the softened butter in a bowl, sift in the icing sugar. Cream together until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the extract you are using to the egg whites and mix them into the creamed butter mixture.
5. No need to whisk or beat them, just make sure they are well incorporated.
6. Sift the flour (for chocolate version add cocoa powder along with the flour) and fold it into the batter with a spoon.
7. Do not overwork the mixture. 

8. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with size 12(Wilton) plain nozzle.
9. Now remove the chilled trays from the fridge and dust finely with plain flour.
10. Pipe straight sticks about 3 inches long, leaving a little space between each cookie, because they spread little during baking.
11. Baking in the oven for about 8 - 10 minutes until the edges are golden and pale in the center.
12. Cool slightly.  Remove from the baking tray and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Once cooled decorate the cookies as per your liking. I dipped the cookie in the tempered chocolate and for chocolate version dipped in tempered chocolate and dusted with ground pistachio.

Read more...

FINANCIERS - a bar of gold ! French Tea cake !

 Financiers are dome-shaped French tea cakes (cookies) with the taste of almonds and caramelized butter, sounds rich right?  Yup these little cakes get their name since they are meant to resemble gold bars.  These cute little gold bars are damn tasty :) These petite bars are truly addictive. The almond flavor is deliciously complimented by the flavor of burnt butter, or "beurre noisette." CAUTION : The batter itself is quite addictive! It has a firm, crusty exterior and a moist, almondy interior, tastes almost as if they were filled with almond paste. 

 The history says that financiers were first made in the late 19th century by a pastry chef whose shop was close to the Paris stock exchange. He baked the financiers in the rectangular molds that were said to resemble bars of gold.  It became so popular in that financial area and thus it got its name.  While you can buy special financier molds to bake these, you can also use individual small tart pans or miniature muffin tin as well.  

Financiers are delicious by itself, but it tastes great and pretty when it is topped with berries, peaches, apples etc.  It can also be served with Crème Anglaise, Ice cream ...you can use this as one of the plating component.  It’s also perfect accompaniment with Indian coffee and tea!!!

FINANCIERS - A BAR OF GOLD

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 60g
Unsalted Butter - 150g
Almond flour -100g
Sugar - 125g
Egg whites - 140g
Honey- 30g
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp (You can substitute with lemon zest)

Method:

1. Dice and melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Heat until the butter turns brown, but make sure it does not burn. (Like how we do for Ghee)
2. Once the butter turned brown immediately keep it aside.  Let it cool down completely, once cooled strain and keep it aside.
3. In a large bowl stir in the egg white together with the sugar and honey. 
4. Mix well until the sugar combines with the egg white.  Do not over whisk just mix lightly until combined.
5. Now add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Slowly add the melted brown butter and the vanilla extract. Mix lightly until they are combined.
7. Fill the batter 2/3 into each cavity of the Financier mold or any other mold you are using. I spooned it inside the mold using measurement spoon, you can also fill the use pastry bag, to fill the batter in the cavities. The batter will be thin.
8. If you are using any fruits for topping (I used Blueberry, Raspberry and Kumquat), place it in the top of the batter but do not press.  They by themselves takes its beautiful place while baking.
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes in 400°f oven until they are golden brown around the edges and are springy when touched. 
10. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
11. I brushed Financiers with Apricot glaze which is absolutely optional.  You can also dust with icing sugar when serving.

The above recipe makes about 18 to 20 small bars.

Sweet little bar of edible gold is ready to savor with cup of hot Tea, Coffee or as a dessert!!!

Notes:

1. If you think 400°f is way too hot in your oven.  Bake them in 350°f for about 15 to 20 minutes because each oven varies.
2. These are best eaten warm or in room temperature.
3. They can be covered and stored for few days at room temperature or in refrigerator.
4. You can serve this with Ice-cream, CrèmeAngalise etc.

5. If you are not using non stick or Silicon mold , grease the cavity with little butter and dust it with the flour.

Read more...