Tuile Cookies

Tuile Cones with Almond Pudding and Strawberries

Even if you don’t know what a tuile cookie is (pronounced “twill” or “tweel”), you’ve probably eaten them before. They’re delicate and sweet and often stuck into desserts, especially ice cream, at fancy restaurants. The great thing about tuile cookies is that they come out of the oven soft and pliable, allowing you to shape them whatever way you want before they cool and harden. They’re crisp and sweet and buttery–like the most delicate, most delicious ice cream cone you’ve ever had. In fact, ice cream cones are what got me thinking of tuile.

It’s 80 degrees here today, so I started thinking about making some ice cream. Then I thought about making my own ice cream cones. Then I thought about tuiles. And since there doesn’t seem to be a recipe for vegan tuile cookies on the internet, I decided to make up my own. And it worked! Perfectly. (I know, I’m just as shocked as you are. Apparently you really can learn how to make fancy things just by watching a lot of cooking shows on tv. My sister and I used to come home from school watch Great Chefs on PBS before the Food Network ever existed. Remember that show? I’m pretty sure that’s where I learned about tuile.)

So anyway. Tuile cookies aren’t hard, but they do require a few tools, some concentration, and the willingness to lightly burn your fingers. Since I don’t mind sacrificing myself for cookies, this wasn’t a problem for me. Just be forewarned. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

  • A silpat, or non-stick mat, or waxed parchment paper
  • An offset spatula
  • A clean piece of cardboard (not super thick) or tuile template
  • Molds (bowl, rolled paper, whatever)

Let’s get to the recipe, I’ll explain in more detail as I go.

Vegan Tuile Cookies
Makes 1-2 dozen depending on size

1/2 Cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbs Flax Egg*
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

Flax Egg
1 Tbs Flax Seed
1/4 Cup Water

Grind the flax seed to a powder in a spice grinder. Whisk with water and set aside. Use 2 Tbs of this mixture for the tuile cookies, you’ll have a little left over

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Earth Balance and Sugar

Whip the Earth Balance and sugar until light and fluffy, so it looks like the photo above. Once the Earth Balance is soft enough it should whip up just fine.

Tuile Batter

Add flax egg, extract, and salt. Whip until you see medium to stiff peaks like above. Gently fold in flour and mix until well combined. Your batter is ready, so prepare your workstation.

You can buy specialized tuile templates in lots of different shapes, but a piece of clean cardboard works just as well. I traced a glass and cut the circle out with an x-acto knife for my template. You can do circles, squares, rectangles, flowers, stars – anything!

Spreading Tuile Batter

Put your template down on your silpat and add a glob of batter. Using your offset spatula, carefully spread the batter out to fill the template, remove the excess batter.

Tuile Batter

Lift the template up to remove it. You’re cookies are ready to go in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. You may need to experiment with baking time to reach the ideal balance between strength and pliability.

I recommend not making more than 2-3 cookies at a time. You’ll need to shape them immediately after they come out of the oven, and since they harden quickly, it’s difficult to shape more than 2 or 3 in one go.

It’s also important to completely cool the baking sheet between each batch. Dump the hot baking sheet in the sink and spray it down with cold water.  Dry thoroughly before the next batch.

When they come out of the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for 15-30 seconds. Gently remove them with a spatula and shape them immediately (this is the part where you might burn your fingers). You can make all sorts of shapes. If your template was circular, here are some ways you can shape them. I’m in the process of forming bowls in this picture, and I had already made cones, cylinders, and tacos.

Molding a tuile bowl

I used regular paper, rolled into cylinders and cones and taped, to make the other shapes. Once cool the shape will set.

Now you can use them whichever way you want! I filled mine with almond soy pudding and fresh strawberries. You can add them to ice cream, fill them with vegan pastry cream, stuff them with berries or custard, dip them in chocolate–whatever. If you want to make the cookies ahead, I recommend not filling them until the last minute to prevent the cookies from getting soggy.

And I haven’t forgotten about ice cream. I actually bought an ice cream machine today, so I’ll post a recipe for vegan ice cream in the future, now that I know how to make the cones!

Tuile Cones with Almond Pudding and Strawberries

70 comments

  1. SusanV

    Gorgeous! You are definitely the hardest working vegan cook I know of. And now to find out that you’re willing to sacrifice your fingers to the cause–you deserve a medal!

    Reply
  4. magpie

    These look so fun! This would be a great recipe to use for a hands-on date with the boyfriend :) We were thinking of doing a make-your-own sushi night followed by some kind of dessert and this one looks good. Especially because he’s into fruity desserts.

    Reply
  6. Sharon of Plumes Fame

    Hi friend,
    These look incredible. Daniel (brother #3) and I were OBSESSED with Great Chefs back in the day, and I would give anything for another 4:30 in the afternoon showing, just home from school and ready to be a studious little cooking nerd.

    Miss you lots. Looking forward to coming home (June 1!).

    Reply
  14. oatmeal

    I LOVE your pictures! They’re so well put together and the bright colors make me smile :D
    Your cookies remind me of sushi cones! That’s so creative and awesome. And ice cream + strawberries? Oh how my stomach growls…

    Reply
  15. Alison

    Why does everything you make have to look so delicious? I swear, just looking at your blog I must have gained ten pounds, just due to salivating over every recipe you post! I’ve always found it hard to find vegetarian recipes that are appetizing to omnis, but you have solved the problem for me. A million thanks….

    Reply
  23. diva@theSugarBar

    oh i’ve had something like that before as a kid. they were filled with just sweetened cream, but they were so good. thanks for sharing this recipe. something cool to make and flash about to my mates. x

    Reply
  25. Holler

    I don’t usually like these biscuits in ice cream, I pass them around the table, but I could be persuaded now I have seen your presentation of them! I do love strawberries :)

    Reply
  26. ruby red vegan

    I haven’t thought about these little ice cream cookies in forever! Your attention to detail is just jaw-dropping. I’m excited to see your vegan ice cream recipes too. I have a machine and I’m sure the ice cream you come up with would be nothing short of amazing.

    Reply
  28. Michelle

    I’m continually amazed by your awesomeness. With a few of your recipes I’m going to blow the minds of the omnis in my wine club!

    Reply
  31. Shannon

    Hi Lolo,

    My name is Shannon and I’m the editorial assistant at Foodbuzz.com. Following up on a recent email invitation to be a part of our newly launched Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I just want to reiterate that the Foodbuzz team loves reading your posts and would be very excited to have you become a part of our blogging community. I would love to send you more details about the program, so if you are interested, please email me at [email protected].

    Those look delicious.

    Cheers!

    Shannon Eliot
    Editorial Assistant, Foodbuzz.com
    [email protected]

    Reply
  32. Katie

    Those look great! I loved Great Chefs. I used to watch it before I went to dinner when I lived in dorms in college so I would be hungry for crappy dorm food.

    Reply
  34. Jon

    Amazing!

    Can someone explain in other terms what “Earth Balance” is? Is it a brand? Or a type of product? I live in Sweden and have never seen it here.

    Earth balance is a vegan margarine that replaces butter.

    Reply
  36. Anina

    These look so yummy! I’m an omnivore who opts for vegan as much as I can, and I love your blog and your recipes!

    For the pain-sensitive: I once had a summer job working in an ice cream store that made its own waffle cones. They provided us with cotton gloves for the cone-molding step so we didn’t burn our fingers too badly.

    Reply
  39. jd

    OMG – this is exactly the type of thing that makes me hyperventilate! And I’m not even a big dessert fan!

    Beautiful sweets, Lolo :)

    Reply
  41. Andrea

    Uau!
    They look like so delicious . Your photos are so beautiful.
    I love came here sometimes.
    Sorry, my english is not so good. I’m brazilian and I don’t write often in your language.
    Kisses…
    Bye

    Reply
  43. Céline Aubin

    I made the Tuile Cookies this afternoon and they are delicious ! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

    Any updates on when you will be publishing more of your recipes in a book or e-zine ?

    Reply
  46. squid

    I’m sure you’ve addressed this a thousand times but do you use the salted Earth Balance and if not where do you get a non-salted kind?

    They don’t make an unsalted kind as far as I know!

    Reply
  48. marthe glad

    Around here (norway) most people have tuille irons, that look something like this: http://www.reuro.no/images/litebilde/147.jpg and then shape the cake around cone shaped wooden sticks that has a metal clip to grab the fried cake… sort of. It’s alot less labout intensive that way.

    I’ve never thought it possible to make tuille cakes without those aids, kudos for doing it.

    Reply
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