When Jean-Luc and I met to introduce ourselves to Marie-Paule, she cooked her pine nut tuile. Unlike the usual small individual ones we may normally see, Marie-Paule makes her tuile in a tray. When it is cooked and before it cools too much, she carefully rolls it over to resemble - as the name suggest - a tile the same size as tiles on the farmhouses of this area. Measurements for this recipe are as given to me by Marie-Paule.

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 100 grams caster sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (see tips)
• 50 grams flour, sifted
• 50 grams butter, melted
• 125 grams pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon rum

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Grease a 27cm x 33cm or similar size baking tray, line with baking paper and grease again.
2. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites, salt sugar and vanilla sugar together until well mixed and thick. Add the butter. Stir in the flour and pine nuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and spread out as evenly as you can.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are well browned, and the centre is firm.
4. Remove from the oven and while the tuile is warm carefully bring the longer edges together to resemble a tile. If you have a large bottle or something similar, drape the tuile over it to help in this task. Once firm, transfer to a cake rack to cool.
5. Tip Vanilla sugar is commonly used in Europe, where it is readily available, to flavour sweet baked goods. It can easily be substituted with material from your cupboard; use one teaspoon sugar, either soft brown or caster, and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract. The normal amount in a packet of vanilla sugar is 1 ½ teaspoons.

Cooks Tips

Vanilla sugar is commonly used in Europe, where it is readily available, to flavour sweet baked goods. It can easily be substituted with material from your cupboard; use one teaspoon sugar, either soft brown or caster, and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract. The normal amount in a packet of vanilla sugar is 1½ teaspoons.