“You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need”. Does that sound familiar to you? It surely applies to a lot of aspects of our lives, but I would like to address a specific one: yesterday evenings’ dessert. I wanted to make almond tuile baskets filled with mint infused whipped cream and topped with strawberries and raspberries. But I didn’t get that: the tuiles would break when I tried to bend them into baskets, although I did manage to make one basket, which ended up being devoured by my daughter. Also, my mint infused whipped cream simply did not whip. So, what I got was almond tuiles stacked between layers of whipped cream and berries in between. And what I got wasn’t half bad. It was in fact absolutely delicious.

I urge you to make this dessert if you ever need to whip up something that looks fancy, but is simple to make. Making the tuiles is easy, even if it takes a bit of time, as you will need to bake them in batches. Aside from this, the rest is a breeze: you just have to wash the berries and whip the cream.

As for the taste, the tuiles are really crispy and they pair perfectly with the fluffy texture of the cream; the sweetness of these first two components balances perfectly with the slight sourness of the berries. The mint infused cream would have been a very nice touch to this dessert, but unfortunately I was impatient and I didn’t leave it in the fridge long enough and it simply did not whip. If you do have patience, unlike me, infuse the mint in the whipping cream a day before making the dessert and make sure it is very cold when you begin to whip it. Other than that, I didn’t have enough raspberries, so I had to use strawberries as well, but I will definitely use only raspberries next time, because of their sourness.

Crispy Almond Tuile Mille Feuille with Berries

Serves 4

For the Almond Tuiles:

Makes 12-16 large biscuits

125gr/4 1/2oz flaked almons

125gr/4 1/2oz granulated sugar

2 drops pure vanilla extract

drop of almond extract

2 egg whites

25gr/1oz butter

20gr/3/4oz all-purpose flour

Using a rubber spatula, mix the almonds, sugar, vanilla almond extract and egg whites in a bowl, until well combined. Melt the butter and while it is still hot, pour into the egg mixture. Mix very well, then cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour or more. Sift the flour into the bowl and mix until well combined. Preheat your oven to 150C/300F. On a lined baking tray, place heaping teaspoons, leaving some space in between them. With the aid of a tablespoon dipped in cold water, flatten each biscuit and pop in the oven for 14-17 minutes, until they are turn evenly golden. When they’re done, remove from the tray with a flexible spatula and allow to cool on parchment paper.

For the Cream:

250ml/1cup whipping cream (full-fat, made from milk)

20gr/1 1/2 Tblsp granulated sugar

1tsp pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream with a whisk or mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and whip until it it holds stiff peaks, then add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.

If you want mint infused cream, simply boil the heavy cream, then remove from the hob, add 20gr chopped mint leaves and infuse for 15 minutes. Strain the mint leaves and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge, preferably overnight.

To assemble:

225gr/8oz raspberries

OR

125gr/4,5 oz raspberries

100gr/3,5 oz strawberries, washed, dried and hulled

Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Place almond tuile biscuit on a dessert plate, dollop a heaping tablespoon on top and smooth it over the biscuit, place 4 or 5 strawberries on top, then repeat with the second biscuit, another dollop of cream and 6 to 8 raspberries. Place the third biscuit on top, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and place a raspberry on top.