LINGUE DI GATTO “cat’s tongues”

These biscuits are a classic of Italian cuisine.  Every pastry shop sells them and they are very often served with ice cream.  Their name literally means “cat’s tongues” as their shape and size resemble a cat’s tongue

Ingredients

About 40 biscuits:

• 3.5 ounces  100 gms butter (at room temperature)

• 3.5 ounces  100 gms flour

• 3.5 ounces  100 gms icing sugar

• 4 egg whites (at room temperature)

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mash the soft butter with a spoon.

2. Add the icing sugar and mix very well until the butter is really soft and creamy.

3. Now sift the flour into the butter mixture and keep stirring until well combined.

4. Add one egg white at a time and the vanilla extract and keep mixing well.

5. When the batter is ready, make 5 cm long strips, either with a spoon: or with a sac-a-poche:

6. Keep some space between the biscuits as they will expand (and flatten) while cooking. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F 200°C for 6-7 minutes.  Remove quickly from the pan using a spatula to avoid burning and put them on a rack to cool down.