LANGUES DE CHAT (cat’s tongues, about 2-1/2 dozen cookies)
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1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
1 teaspoon orange flower water
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2/3 cups all purpose flour
a nonstick baking sheet liner, such as a Silpat, or parchment paper
a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8 inch plain tip
1. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 325*. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick liner or parchment paper. If using parchment paper, anchor it to baking sheet by buttering edges of sheet before smoothing parchment over it.
2. Beat together butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in orange flower water, vanilla and salt. Beat in whites at low speed (batter will look separated). Add flour in 3 batches, beating just until well combined; do not overmix.
3. Put batter in pastry bag and pipe out 6 inch long strips (about 1/8 inch wide) 1-1/2 inches apart (batter will spread during baking) on lined baking sheet, piping slightly more batter at each end. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. (Turn baking sheet if cookies are browning unevenly.) Immediately sprinkle hot cookies lightly with sugar and transfer to a rack to cool completely. Make more cookies in the same manner, cooling baking sheets between batches.
SERVE WITH: Grapefruit brulee
this is Alice Waters’ recipe, printed in The Gourmet Cookbook