Best Cocoa Nib Tuiles Recipes

VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE TUILES

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
• Lower the speed and add the flour or flour-cocoa mixture (see Cook's Note) and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Cover bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut a small hole (about 3 1/2 inch diameter) in a thin piece of cardboard or plastic to serve as a template in forming the tuiles. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat and place the stencil on it. Using a small off-set spatula, place a small amount of the batter in the center of the hole of the stencil and spread it out evenly. Carefully lift the stencil off. Repeat for more cookies.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and while still hot, remove tuiles from the pan and drape them over a rolling pin. Allow to sit a few minutes to harden and cool. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CREAM WITH SPICED RASPBERRIES AND COCOA NIB TUILE

Steps:

• To make the chocolate sheet: In a saucepan, mix the cream, water, sugar, and carageenan. Add the melted chocolate and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Pour through a chinois onto an acetate-lined quarter sheet pan. Let set.;
• To make the cocoa nib cream: Bring 1 cup of the cream to a boil in a saucepan with the cocoa nibs. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then pour into a blender and blend well. Transfer to a bowl and add the gelatin.
• In a medium bowl, whip the whites and sugar to medium peaks. Fold the whites into the cocoa nib mixture. Whip the remaining 1 cup cream to soft peaks and fold into the nibs-egg white mixture. Pour onto an acetate lined quarter sheet pan.
• To make the port sauce: In a small saucepan, simmer the port with the cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and allspice until it reduces to a syrup consistency.;
• To make the cocoa nib tuiles: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grind the isomalt, cocoa nibs, and shortbread cookies into a fine powder. Sift onto a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut into desired shape.
• To assemble: Gently place the chocolate sheet atop the cocoa nib cream sheet. Using a ring cutter, cut out a circle or square. Top with a similar size cocoa nib tuile. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries dressed in the port sauce.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE TUILES

Steps:

• Halve 4 parchment paper sheets lengthwise and set aside. Prepare a stencil using a piece of cardboard 6 inches long by 4 inches wide. Draw a circle 2 1/2 inches in diameter in the upper half of the cardboard then cut out the circle. The stencil is the cardboard with the circle removed.
• Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30), then stir in the ground hazelnuts thoroughly. Set the stencil over a strip of parchment paper and spread about a tablespoon of the mixture over the opening, using an offset spatula with a 4-inch blade. The tuiles should be no more than 1/8 inch thick. Lift the stencil off the parchment paper and scrape the excess chocolate mixture from the stencil back into the bowl. You should be able to place 4 tuiles on each strip of parchment paper.
• Let the tuiles set for 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully drape the parchment paper with the tuiles over a rolling pin that is set on a jelly roll pan. Chill the tuiles in the refrigerator until firm (10 to 15 minutes). Gently peel the parchment paper off of the curved tuiles. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the tuiles will keep for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the refrigerator. The tuiles are best served at room temperature.
• White Chocolate Tuiles: Substitute 10 ounces white chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate.
• Coconut Chocolate Tuiles: Substitute 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, lightly toasted, for the hazelnuts.
• Nibby Tuiles: Substitute 1 cup roughly chopped cacao nibs for the hazelnuts.