Giant Tuiles (Large Tile Cookies)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Step 2

   Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until lightly browned, about seven minutes, checking carefully to make sure they don't burn. Put two cups of the almonds in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. Step 3

   Put the remaining half a cup of almonds into the container of a food processor or electric blender and blend thoroughly. Add the blended almonds to the mixing bowl. Add the sugar, eggs and flour and stir to blend. Start stirring with a wooden spoon while gradually adding the melted butter. Refrigerate for an hour or longer.

4. Step 4

   When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

5. Step 5

   You may bake these cookies on a nonstick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with a cut-out sheet of parchment paper.

6. Step 6

   For each cookie, scoop about a quarter cup of the batter at intervals of about three inches on the baking sheet. You should bake one batch of, perhaps, six cookies at a time.

7. Step 7

   Dip the tines of a table fork in water and press down over the top of each cookie to flatten it into a circle measuring about five inches in diameter.

8. Step 8

   Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15 minutes.

9. Step 9

   Let cool two to three minutes, but work quickly. You must not let the cookies stand too long or they will harden or become too firm to be molded. While the cookies are still soft and warm, remove them by sliding a pancake turner under each. The moment each is removed, transfer it into an oval-shaped bread pan or over the side of a wine bottle to give each a round, half-moon shape.