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Langues de chat

Cat's tongue biscuits

Langues de chat: thin, crisp French "cat's tongue" butter biscuits

Langues de chat, "cat's tongues", are long, thin butter biscuits with golden edges, served with coffee, ice cream or a bowl of chocolate mousse in French homes and cafés; they keep well in a tin and children love them. A simple batter of butter, sugar, egg white and flour is piped in strips and baked until the edges just brown. The common mistake is piping them too close together; they spread. Chef's tip: tap the tray firmly on the worktop after piping so the strips flatten evenly.
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
24
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Ingredients

Serves24

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (2)

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Beat the 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter, 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract until creamy, beat in the 2 egg whites a little at a time, then fold in the 2 ⅛ oz plain flour.

    5 min
  2. Step 2: Spoon into a piping bag with a 7 mm plain nozzle and pipe 7 cm strips 4 cm apart on lined trays. Tap the trays on the worktop.

    10 min
  3. Step 3: Bake for 6–8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centres pale.

    8 min
  4. Step 4: Cool on a rack and store airtight.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
50 kcal
Protein
1 g
Carbs
6 g
Fat
3 g
Fibre
0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does langues de chat take?
About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
What can I use instead of icing sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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