Tuile Cookie Cups #CreativeCookieExchange

These crispy cookie cups are made with a rich batter, thinly spread and quickly baked, then shaped over the back of a standard muffin pan. They are perfect for serving a generous scoop of ice cream. 

I’m on kind of a French kick right now, starting with the chaussons aux pommes I posted Sunday, and now these cookies. Because I am on holiday with my mom IN FRANCE, staying with my friend Jamie of Life's a Feast at the gorgeous Hotel Diderot. Later I'll be driving south to Bordeaux and I'll be adding trip photos on Instagram if you want to follow along.

Tuile is the French word for tile and these cookies get their name because they are often draped over something cylindrical while warm - for instance a rolling pin or wine bottle - and end up looking like the roof tiles so often used in classic French homes. Since our theme for Creative Cookie Exchange this month is Cookies and Ice Cream, I decided it would be fun to make little cookie bowls out of them instead.

The recipe below, adapted from this one on Food Network for tuile cookie cones, will easily make about one and a half dozen one scoop sized bowls.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 65g all-purpose flour
1/2 cup or 65g powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method
Sift the flour, powdered sugar and salt together into bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, along with the vanilla, just to loosen them up.

Add in the melted, cooled butter and whisk again to combine.

Now sift the flour/sugar mixture a second time, right into the egg white bowl.

Whisk vigorously to make a smooth liquid, without any lumps.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

Now to make nice circles with the batter, you can wing it or you can create a pattern for yourself to follow. I like to draw my circles on a piece of parchment paper then slip it under my silicone mat. If I go over the pencil circles with permanent marker, they are just dark enough to see through the mat.

You can also draw the circles on your parchment then turn it over and use the non-marked side to spread your batter. If you are using straight parchment, make yourself a few because as they get wet from the batter, they are no longer flat. You’ll want a fresh piece for each batch. Keep them though because you can reuse them for other baked goods that don't need a completely flat piece of parchment.

When the resting time for the batter is almost up, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and grease the bottom of a muffin pan.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the batter onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread the batter with the back of a spoon into 5 in or 12.7cm rounds. Or follow the circle guidelines you have drawn to make your life easier.

Six tuile cookies at a time is ideal. More and they harden up before you can shape them when they come out of the oven.

Bake in the middle of the oven until golden and very lightly brown around the edges, about 4 to 6 minutes. Watch them like a hawk! My first batch was too brown, therefore too crunchy, and then they wouldn’t mold to the shape of my muffin pan.

To shape, gently loosen a cookie from the baking sheet with a spatula, then turn it over so the smooth side is facing up. Lay the cookie on the greased bottom of your muffin pan and gently, shape it to fit. Do the others in rapid succession while they are still warm.

Make and shape more cookies with the remaining batter. After I had made a dozen, I decided to try to make one big bowl. I ended up making hole in the side while loosening it from the baking sheet but the bowl still came out great.

Make sure the tuile cookie bowls are completely dried and crispy before storing them in an airtight container, otherwise they can go a bit soft again.

Add a scoop of ice cream to each and enjoy!

Many thanks to Laura from The Spiced Life for hosting and for this great theme! If you are a fan of ice cream and cookies – and how is not?! – have a look at the other great recipes we have for you this month.

• Brownie Sundae Cookies by Anne from Upstate Ramblings
• Chocolate Cake Waffle Cookies with Banana Ice Cream by Terri at Our Good Life
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowls by Anshie at Spice Roots
• Chocolate Chunks Cookies With Vanilla Ice Cream by Kathia from Basic N Delicious
• Chocolate Sundae Shortbread Cookies by Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas
• Fudge Ripple Cookies by Linda from 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Mango Cake Cookies Bowls by Deepti from Simply Veggies
• Slice and Bake Peppermint Cookies by Laura from The Spiced Life
• Phirni Ice Cream and Ginger Cookies Sandwiches by Preeti from ISingCakes
• Tuile Cookie Cups by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

.