Almond Amaretto Lace Cookie Baskets (aka Tuiles)

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat sheets.

2. Combine brown sugar, butter and the corn syrup in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the batter is smooth. It will be almost to a simmer when this occurs. Rub a tiny bit between two fingers to see if you feel any sugar crystals. If so, continue to cook until smooth.

3. Remove from the heat, and stir in the flour, sliced almonds and Amaretto.

4. Use a 2″ scoop (about 2 tablespoons) and spoon batter 4-6 inches apart on each baking sheet. You’ll get 4 cookies to a sheet. They may seem small, but they’ll spread to about 6-8 inches during baking. Bake 1 sheet at a time on the middle rack, until they’re golden brown and bubbling, about 8 minutes.

5. Cool cookies on the sheet for a minute or two. Flip a jumbo muffin pan upside down and have it beside the cookie sheet. Cut parchment around each cookie with kitchen shears, and place cookie side down, pressing lightly on the sides to mold them into a basket shape. Continue with remaining cookies. If the cookies are too soft, wait a little longer and try again. If they become too brittle to mold, simply pop the cookie sheet back in the oven a minute and they’ll soften.

6. Bake second sheet of cookies and repeat process. The baked cookie baskets will be firm enough to remove from your muffin pan while the others are baking. I like using the muffin pan because you can pop it in the oven a minute to soften the cookies if they become too brittle to remove.

7. These cookies are very versatile. You can leave them flat and dip them halfway in chocolate before serving. Or spread melted chocolate, ganache, or buttercream filling on one cookie and top it with another to make a sandwich. Or use a wooden spoon or homemade foil mold to shape them into cylinders or cones and fill if desired. Oh, the possibilities are endless.

(Recipe adapted from Gourmet.)