Sweet tiles (thin nut cookies)

Something sweet and light to go with my coffee.

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano
time: 40 min to prepare nuts (toasting and cooling) + 15 min preparation + 3x10 min baking
makes 36 cookies

ingredients

• 200 g (1 cup) sugar, quantity divided
• 80 g (3/5 cup) whole almonds
• 80 g ( 3/5 cup) whole hazelnuts
• 60 g (2/5 cup) flour
• 60 g (4 Tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled a bit
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 130C/270F (fan forced). Spread nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you'll need two more lined baking sheets later). Put nuts in the oven for 25 min. Take them out, let cool 10 min and rub them between your hands to take the skin off (in hazelnuts, especially). 
2. Rise the temperature of the oven to 180C/350F (fan forced). 
3. Blend nuts with half the sugar till fine. Mix in butter and vanilla. Add flour. Beat egg whites. When they start getting white and foamy (more than half way through), add the rest of sugar and beat till glossy and creamy. Carefully fold in the beaten whites into the nut mix. 
4. Using two spoons, apply a small spoon-full of batter onto a lined baking sheet, spacing 3-4cm (1-2inch) apart. With a wet spoon, flatten the batches till thin and about 7cm (3inch) in diameter. Place in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes, till browned around the edges. Take them out. 
5. Lift them off from the paper with a flat, wide, thin tool (cheese cutter) and transfer onto a rolling pin (4 cookies at the time) and, after about 20-30 seconds, on your cookie plate.

notes

• exactly what I wanted; thin, delicate, sweet, nutty, crunchy around the edges; elegant; Italian;
• when the cookies get too browned in the oven, forget about using the rolling pin to get that shape; they'll brake; flat good too;
• if you want them crunchy, let them get more color in the oven; 
• the pale ones will get chewy;
• it was a little more play time than I excepted, it happens every time I use three baking sheets; 
• with one sheet only in the oven I can see all the cookies and baking is more even;
• I toasted extra almonds and rub them in salt for my night cap with champagne.