January Daring Bakers: Tuiles with Meyer Lemon Pudding and Blackberries

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux. We were also challenged to pair our tuiles with a light, fruity treat.

Because our lemon tree is overflowing with Meyer lemons, I decided to go for a lemon pudding from Luscious Lemon Desserts which is a cute little lemon cookbook that I got a while back but have never really used much. Made with Meyer lemons, the pudding was mild yet distinctively lemon flavored and not too sour. It was really creamy and delicious, with a fairly soft set compared to commercial puddings. Although I would say the pudding is best served chilled, make sure to taste it warm as that's definitely a treat as well! I'm glad to have finally tried out this cookbook and I'll definitely be trying some more recipes from it while our tree has so many lemons.

As for the tuiles, the flavor was nice but overall the cookies felt like more of a garnish. I had a hard time getting the cookies thin enough and they were definitely a little too thick and soft in the middle. I would like to try them again, either with this or one of Alice Medrich's recipes, to try to get them really crispy all the way through (which is what I think of when I think tuiles). The cookies are a little fussy for my taste, but it was definitely interesting to try the new technique.

Tuiles (adapted from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeinck)

65 grams / 1/4 cup softened butter
60 grams / 1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
7 grams vanilla sugar (or substitute a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle on low speed, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla sugar to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week; just take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with either butter or oil spray. Chill the tray in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread the batter. Leave some room in between your shapes.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet with an offset spatula and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm.

Meyer Lemon Pudding (from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbottom)

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Zest of two Meyer lemons
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from about four lemons)
2 T unsalted butter at room temperature

1. Prepare everything in advance so that you will have the lemon juice and butter ready to add as soon as the pudding comes off the stove.

2. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan (off the heat). Add a little bit of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the milk and whisk to combine. Add the yolks, zest, and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and the whisk leaves a trail on the surface of the pudding.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the lemon juice and butter and stir vigorously until the butter is completely dissolved.

4. Force through a strainer into a large serving bowl. This will filter out the lemon zest and any bits of cooked egg, leaving you with a perfectly silky pudding. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap down to cover the surface of the pudding completely so that a skin cannot form. Let cool to room temperature. The refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.