Langues de Chat (Cat's Tongues)

Langues de Chat (Cat's Tongues)
Adapted from Ladurée Sucré

- Makes approximately 50 thin biscuits -

4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (to mimic 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar)
Zest of one orange (optional)
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

Cut butter into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Stir the butter with a wood spoon and lightly whisk until creamy. Whisk or stir in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated with the butter. Add orange zest (if using) and stir until combined. Add granulated sugar and vanilla extract, again mixing well together, before stirring in the egg white. Whisk everything together.

Sift cake flour into the mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined and batter is smooth.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip about 1/4 to 1/5 inch wide. Pipe 2 1/3 inch long strips on the lined baking sheets, leaving space between each to allow spreading.

Bake for approximately 12 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Remove from the oven and allow biscuits to cool before removing with a spatula and transferring to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, store biscuits in an airtight container.

You can dip the biscuits in dark, milk, or white chocolate. Dark chocolate is particularly good with the flavor of orange zest I've added. You can tint the white chocolate with a bit of food coloring for desired color. Place dipped biscuits on parchment paper to allow chocolate to set. Unless chocolate is tempered (slowly melted and used in the 86 to 88 degree range), store chocolate dipped biscuits in the refrigerator.

Serve these biscuits alone or as accompaniment to ice cream, gelato, or mousse.