This recipe is one in a series from Rory as a pairing with our STABLE Summer 2024 Irish Linen Napkins.

These thin biscuits are so called as they are supposed to resemble the shape of cats tongues. I like to shape these into long and skinny biscuits so perhaps more like a lizards tongue, but that name would not really sell them very well. Regardless of the length, they should be quite thin and delicate.

I serve them with mousses, fools, soufflés, ices of all sorts and of course with a cup of tea or coffee. The flavouring here is vanilla but orange or lemon zest or ground sweet spices such as cinnamon or star anise also works well. Finely chopped nuts such as pistachio, almond, pecan or brazil nuts can be scattered over the shaped and uncooked batter to give a lovely crunchy and flavoursome finish.

Serves 8

Ingredients 

125g soft butter 

125g caster sugar

175g plain flour

4 egg whites 

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons demerara sugar

4 tablespoons finely chopped pistachio nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 180c / 350f / gas 4. Line a flat baking tray with parchment paper- Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat vigorously until pale and fluffy. Add the sifted flour, vanilla extract and egg whites and fold gently with a spatula until the mixture is combined. It will look like a thick batter.

Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with 5mm plain nozzle or use a “disposable” plastic piping bag and just snip off the top with a scissors to give exactly the size needed. I wash and dry the plastic bag and keep it for the next time. Pipe onto to the lined baking tray in long thin rows c10cm long. Leave a 3cm gap between the biscuits to allow them to spread a little when cooking.

Bake in the oven for 1 minutes by which time they will have spread slightly. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the demerara sugar and nuts. Return to the oven and continue cooking for c 6 minutes until a rich golden colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool still on the parchment slid onto a wire rack. When cooled, remove to wire rack to fully crisp then and store in an airtight box lined with kitchen paper.