INGREDIENTS

(makes about 100)

2kg sugar
200g glucose
1kg melted butter
1kg flaked almonds
800ml water
600g pastry flour
Pistachios (optional)

METHOD

Put the sugar, glucose, butter, almonds and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the flour and incorporate thoroughly. Chill thoroughly.

Put teaspoon-sized piles of mixture, spaced well apart, on baking sheets, lined with silicone paper or Silpat mats. Flatten thoroughly - in the Lanesborough pâtisserie they use a plastic template dipped in water to do this - so that each one is about 7cm in diameter. Sprinkle with pistachios, if you use them. Bake in oven at 200ºC, gas mark 6. Check after five minutes. Continue baking till golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Cool for about a minute. Lift the tuiles and shape them over a rolling pin or in special stainless-steel half-moon shapers.

The basic recipe can be varied in many ways, for instance by replacing the water with orange or lemon juice.

Stuart Pate