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 had several options for how to treat this challenge. We could make a traditional tuile — a French almond cookie shaped over a rolling pin to resemble the roof tile for which it is named. We could also make a chocolate cookie version, or a chocolate version that is more like a candy, made of just melted dark chocolate and ground almonds. We needed to choose one of these batters, shape it, and then serve it with “something light.”

I’ve made one version of tuiles on the site previously, which I shaped as cups to serve ice cream. This month, I ran out of time to try one of the true cookie versions of the tuiles, so I decided to go with the simpler chocolate version — just melt some chocolate, mix in some ground almonds, pipe into the desired shape, and then lay over a rolling pin to curl. Inspired by Karen, I thought I’d make them butterfly shaped. I didn’t have the materials to make a stencil like she did, but I thought a butterfly was simple enough I could freehand it. Boy was that a bad idea! Because of the almonds, the batter is a little thick, making it hard for me to pipe or spread it evenly, and I’m not very well-practiced at piping anyway. My plan was to make a butterfly, then let it cool kind of wedged between two glasses so that it’s wings curled up. Well, the few times I could actually get something shaped sort of like a butterfly, I messed it up while I was trying to curl it. In the end, I decided to just make round tuiles and shape them over a rolling pin. They weren’t as pretty as I hoped, but they still tasted good. Hopefully, soon I’ll have some more time and will get a chance to try making some stencils and trying some of the many elegant ways of shaping tuile cookies.

For my “something light” to serve them with, I combined two recipes from La Tartine Gourmande to make a raspberry mousse. This was delicious with the dark chocolate, and definitely something I will try to make again. (Don’t worry, I used frozen raspberries so as not to pay $10 for a half-pint of out of season, low on flavor berries!) I think it was actually relatively light in fat, and it definitely tasted appropriately light (but still delicious!) for cutting back in January!

Before I share the recipes, I must remind you — check out what the other Daring Bakers have been up to this month. And thanks again to our hosts, Karen and Zorra!

Chocolate Tuiles

Adapted from Michel Roux’s Finest Desserts

5 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 c blanched almonds, finely chopped

Melt the chocolate, being careful not to let it get too hot so it will stay tempered. (I usually melt it in the microwave in short 15-30 s intervals, stirring between each one, just until it gets melted enough it’s smooth.) Stir in the almonds. Pipe into desired shapes, on parchment paper or plastic wrap. Drape over rolling pin, cup, etc., if desired to shape. Let cool completely. Don’t lift off until just before serving, to keep their sheen.

Raspberry Mousse

Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande
Note: Contains raw eggs.

1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 eggs, separated
2 T sugar
4 oz mascarpone cheese
3 T + 1/2 c whipping cream
1 c raspberries, thawed if frozen

Soak gelatin in 2 T cold water. Set aside. Puree half of the raspberries and set aside.

Beat yolks with sugar until light. Add mascarpone and beat a minute or two more. Gently heat 3 T of cream and combine with the gelatin. Add this to the mascarpone and set aside.

Beat the 1/2 c of cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten cream and the pureed raspberries into the mascarpone mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold together with the raspberry/cream/mascarpone mixture.

Layer in glasses or other small serving dishes with the remaining raspberries. Chill until set.

I made this gluten-free quick bread for a brunch several weeks ago, and now I’ve finally found the time to write it up. This is my first foray into gluten-free baking, and it turned out surprisingly well. It seemed like a good breakfast bread alternative for those who for one reason or another have to stay clear of gluten. I can (and do!) eat as much flour as I want, but I really enjoyed this bread, too. It’s healthier than most breakfast breads since most of the sweetener comes from the fruit, with just a little bit of honey. And the nuts, while adding wonderful flavor, also mean that it will stick with you better than the normal carbohydrate only quick bread. It’s a winner all around!

Gluten-Free Raspberry Tea Bread

adapted from Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried

1 ripe banana
6 T butter
2 t almond butter (or other nut butter)
2 t honey
juice of half a lemon
1 t lemon zest
2 t cream of tartar
8 oz almond meal (or other nut meal)
3 eggs
1 t baking soda
small handful of raisins
a couple handfuls fresh raspberries

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease lightly. Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a mixer, combine banana, butter, almond butter, honey, cream of tartar, lemon zest and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 T almond meal and then one egg. Continue alternating almond meal and eggs until all eggs are beaten in. Stir in remaining almond meal, baking soda, and raisins.

Spoon a third of the batter into the loaf pan. Top with half the raspberries. Spoon another third of the batter on top, and top with the remaining raspberries. Spread the remaining batter on top.

Bake for about an hour, until golden brown on top, firm, and a toothpick comes out somewhat clean. Allow to cool for 10 or 15 minutes, then use the paper to remove from the pan. Let cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.