What French curved almond cookie is named after a roof tile? A tuile is the answer. The French word tuile means “tile,” and the thin baked wafer is named for the curved terracotta roof tiles it resembles.
Tuiles are usually made from a simple batter containing sugar, flour, melted butter and sometimes egg whites. Almond is a popular flavour, but it is not mandatory: modern versions may use vanilla, cocoa, orange, honey or other ingredients. This is why “almond tuile” describes a common variation rather than the entire category.
The cookies are shaped while still hot. Bakers drape them over a rolling pin, bottle or dedicated mold so they cool into an arc; attempting to bend them after they have cooled can make them crack. They may also be left flat, especially when used as delicate biscuits.
In French-style desserts, tuiles are often served as edible garnishes with panna cotta, crème caramel, ice cream or sorbet. They are different from lace cookies, krumkake and pizzelle: those may also be thin or shaped, but their names and culinary traditions come from different places and techniques.