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12.04.14
HOW TO USE ZIG TEMPLATES FOR: tulipes&tuiles
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE TUILES USING A ZIG TEMPLATE:
Several commonly available pastry tools and pieces of equipment are necessary for the efficient use of Zig Templates:
1) A pie server to spread tuile batter; these work better than offset spatulas because they are rigid. In the absence of a pie server, use a small or large offset spatula, depending on the size of the template design.
2) Half-size Silpat mats for easy spreading and easy non-stick removal of baked tuiles. Zig Templates are designed to fit on a half-size Silpat mat for spreading, then removed, and placed in half-size sheet pans for baking. In a professional kitchen, full-size Silpats can also be used; use the template twice on the same mat.
3) Half-size sheet pans for baking. Even in a professional kitchen, half-size sheet pans are preferable when doing a lot of shaping because small quantities are easier to handle and faster to shape before they cool and crisp up. Full-size sheet pans work fine in a professional kitchen when tuiles are going to be left flat instead of being shaped.
4) Desired forms for shaping. You will need five or six of whatever form you are using so that each tuile has time to cool and crisp, either on or in the form, while you are shaping the next ones. Having more forms available allows you to work faster.
5) Airtight plastic boxes, set up as described below, for storage.
TO SPREAD TUILE BATTER:
1) Place a Zig template on a Silpat mat on a flat work surface. Using a pie server or offset spatula, spread the batter evenly into the design cavities and scrape off excess batter. For easier spreading, have the batter at room temperature. Don’t try to spread batter while Silpat is on the sheet pan because most sheet pans are not flat enough to make for efficient spreading.
2) Lift off template and set aside, or place directly onto next Silpat if baking multiple sheets. Remove templates from the Silpat mat; they do not go into the oven. Pick up the Silpat holding the spread batter and place it on a sheet pan. Stack the finished sheet pans criss-crossed until ready to bake. Refrigerating or freezing the Silpat mats spread with batter will prevent too much spread, if that is a concern. Continue in this manner until all sheets are spread. Depending on the batter being used, it may be necessary to wash the template occasionally between sheets.
3) REMINDER: Do not put templates in the oven!
TO BAKE AND SHAPE TUILES:
1) Preheat oven to proper temperature for your batter recipe. For most recipes, pre-heat and bake at 375°F (190°C) if using a home oven or professional conventional oven. For a convection oven, pre-heat and bake at 325° F (162°C).
2) Set up a station near the oven for baking and shaping so that you can “work out of the oven”. Have ready all the necessary equipment listed above before you start.
3) Bake one sheet at a time to the desired color. Set a timer and determine the correct baking time for whatever you are baking so that subsequent sheets will go faster. You will find that you can be shaping the current pan while baking the next one.
4) Remove pan from oven and lift off tuiles one at a time with an offset spatula and shape immediately, working as quickly as possible.
5) As the tuiles cool, they become crisp and will break if you try to shape them. If they do become too cool and stiff to mold easily, just pop the pan back in the oven for a minute or two. The tuiles must be hot and pliable in order to shape. This is the reason to work close to the oven. Wear vinyl gloves if too hot to handle.
6) When cool and crisp, place immediately into a storage box and keep tightly covered.
STORAGE OF TUILES:
1) It is important to know that all of the products in the generic category of “tuiles” are very susceptible to humidity. Keep baked “shapes” in an airtight box if not using immediately. If not protected from humidity, they will soften and lose their crisp, crunchy texture.
2) Here’s what I recommend: Before starting to make tuiles, set up an airtight plastic box (restaurant fish boxes are good) with a layer of limestone in the bottom topped with a piece of cardboard cut to fit the box. On top of the cardboard, lay a half sheet of parchment. If your tuiles are very fragile, wad up sheets of plastic wrap on top of the parchment to pad them.
3) If tuiles do become soft, they can possibly (depending on the shape) be re-crisped in the oven and re-shaped.
TO CLEAN TEMPLATES:
1) Wash templates by hand in warm soapy water, rinse and dry.
2) Do not put templates in a dishwasher; the water is too hot and will cause the templates to warp, making it impossible to spread the batter.
3) Never put templates in the oven.
Shirl Gard,
Pastry Chef Consultant