This crisp, sweet almond cookie looks beautiful and has tremendous flavor and a perfect layering texture. What’s great about the batter is that you can freeze it or keep it in the refrigerator and just pull it out when you’re ready to bake.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 24 cookies

　　4 teaspoons (22g) water

　　Generous 1 tablespoon (22g) honey

　　2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (37g) unsalted butter

　　Scant 2/3 cup (75g) confectioners’ sugar

　　2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour

　　5 1/3 ounces (150g) sliced almonds, chopped

　　

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F or 325°F on convection. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or use a nonstick baking sheet.

　　

Step 2

Put the water, honey, and butter in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter is melted.

　　

Step 3

Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and flour together. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Stir in the nuts.

　　

Step 4

Use a small ice cream scoop (1-tablespoon capacity) to scoop up 1 tablespoon of the batter. Level off the top and drop onto the Silpat, leaving about 2 inches between each tuile (you should fit 6 on the baking sheet). Bake in batches until golden, about 14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely on the Silpat.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__