It’s that time of year again, when we all start poring through the endless volumes of holiday cookie recipes in search of something new to liven up the standard repertoire. It’s my favorite part of the season, actually, because when the sky is dark before I even think about leaving work, any opportunity to fill the house with the smell of cookies makes these long evenings a little more bearable.
So with that in mind, let me introduce you to a new favorite, discovered just this week: lacy, buttery tuiles of toasted almond, brightened up with a nice little zing of orange. Orange and almond are a classic pair for good reason; I even find them as evocative as rosemary and gingerbread, but not so representative of the season that they’d be out of place in spring or summer.
The texture is crisp and delicate, but they’re not as papery-fragile as some tuile cookies. The nuts, chopped finely-but-not-too-finely (don’t grind them to dust in the processor, you’ll lose the nice texture), give a satisfying crunch amid the buttery richness that belies their slim size. I think they’d pair very well with an elegant flute of Champagne, or maybe perched atop a cool bowl of sorbet. Or how about as a gift, packaged with colorful tissue wrap and neatly boxed with a big bow? They keep for a extremely well, too - up to a month in the freezer, and at least a week at room temperature - which is a definite bonus, especially around holiday time.