Lace cookies - part 2

Back in April, I talked about those thin, crisp lace cookies or tuiles.  I love them because they bring back good memories for me and also because they're pretty, delicate, and tasty yet really easy to make.  Plus, I think they were made to go with ice-cream and who doesn't love ice-cream, particularly this time of year.  Well, I wanted to play around with these cookies a bit more by making and molding them into different fun shapes.  More on this later but I used a fantastic recipe here for almond-butterscotch tuiles that is super easy and versatile.

Here's one of the cookies that I shaped into a little cup or bowl for a scoop of pistachio gelato.

Or how about a little edible plate here to go with your favorite ice-cream flavors?

You could also just roll them up a bit and dress up your bowl of ice-cream.

You can get more creative than I have with the shapes but whatever form they take, these tuiles are delicious - a crisp crunch with a light butterscotch sweetness.  The almonds I used add extra crunch and blend really well within the cookie.  They are much easier to make than they might look.  I hope you'll give these a try.

Lace cookies

There is this cookie called a lace cookie, or sometimes referred to as Florentines or tuiles cookies, that I remember first tasting some time in high school.  For home economics, I took a series of cooking classes and I was so happy learning about food and nutrition and just cooking away during these classes.  I think that was my first real cooking experience with following a recipe.  I remember first taking a basic class where we made things like zucchini bread and coffee cakes.  Then there was a course in French food and we would put together meals like beef bourguignon (this teacher even snuck in a bottle of red wine for us to cook with).  After we'd cook the meal, the class would set up the table with linens and glasses, warm French bread and real butter, and we'd sit down to eat what we made.  I couldn't believe how good everything tasted!  Needless to say, I have fond memories of that class. 

Besides going to class, I used to stop by during some of my free periods to earn extra credit by helping out with clean up (I sound like such a nerd but honestly, I just liked going there and being around the kitchen).  Basically, I'd go and help wash the dishes.  One day, I remember the teacher had some lace cookies baking and I got to try one.  It was a sort of crisp cookie with a deep caramel flavor.  It looked very delicate, just like lace, but it was crunchy.  The one I had at that time had chocolate drizzled on it and maybe some nuts also.  I just loved it but didn't think I'd ever be able to bake anything like that on my own!

Many years later, I learned it's actually pretty easy to make these lace cookies.

In fact, you only need five ingredients.  No mixers or major equipment necessary.

This recipe is featured in the Martha Stewart's Cookies book, which I love.  They're called Honey Florentines there and it's basically a lace cookie, flavored with honey and brown sugar.

You heat the butter, brown sugar, and honey up in a pan until it's melted.