Birch Bark Tuiles Recipes

BIRCH-BARK TUILES

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with nonstick silicone baking mats (parchment doesn't work as well). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites with sugar on medium speed until foamy. Add flour and salt; beat to combine. Add butter, cream, and vanilla; beat to combine.
• Transfer 1/2 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in cocoa. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, such as Ateco #3 or #4 (you can also use a paintbrush). Pipe small dots and dashes and "knots" sparsely across surface of baking mat, mimicking birch bark. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Place stencil over "birch" markings; spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons batter into stencil. Spread evenly with a small offset spatula; it will be very thin. (It's okay if some of the markings smear -- they will look more realistic.) Repeat to fill baking sheet (about 6 per sheet). Remove stencil and bake until just set and barely turning golden on a few edges, 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool 30 seconds. Working with one cookie at a time, loosen edges with a spatula and remove from pan. Roll cookies into cylinders and place, seam-sides down, on a tray or counter; let cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookies, returning them to oven for a few seconds to warm if they start to get brittle before you roll them.
• Clean baking mats and stencil between batches, and repeat with remaining batter. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, with parchment in between each, at room temperature up to 3 days.

BIRCH PRETZEL LOGS

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. square pan or a tall glass. Roll or dip pretzels in coating, leaving 1 in. of space on the end you are holding; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; let stand until set. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Pour into a small resealable plastic bag. Carefully cut a very small hole in the bottom corner of the bag. Pipe stripe markings across the pretzel rods to resemble birch trees. Allow to set. Store in an airtight container.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BIRCH BARK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let stand until cool, then coarsely chop; set aside. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Temper white chocolate. Pour tempered white chocolate onto prepared baking sheet. Spread into a thin, even layer, covering the parchment. Slowly roll a wood-graining tool over entire surface of white chocolate, parallel to the long side of the baking sheet. Let stand until set.
• Temper semisweet chocolate. Stir almonds into tempered semisweet chocolate. Pour semisweet chocolate over white chocolate. Spread in an even layer, completely covering white chocolate. Let stand until set. Peel off parchment paper. Break into pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CINNAMON TUILLES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick mat). Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip, pipe batter onto prepared baking sheet in 4-inch long strips; leaving 1/2-inch between cookies. Bake until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE BIRCH BARK

Steps:

• Melt milk chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or in a microwave. Just before all is melted, remove from heat; stir with a spatula until completely melted. Repeat with white chocolate.
• Cut a 12-by-9-inch sheet of parchment; place on a baking sheet. Transfer 2 tablespoons milk chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #3; you can also use a tiny paintbrush). Pipe or brush small dots and dashes and "knots" sparsely across surface of parchment. Refrigerate 5 minutes.
• Pour white chocolate over pat- tern, spreading to edges of parchment. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Spread milk chocolate over white chocolate with a spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Break into pieces; refrigerate until ready to serve.