In celebration of SIFT finally landing in America (and being published in the perfect shade of pink) I wanted to share with you a special recipe from
’s brilliant baking cookbook. Ever since meeting Nicola, I’ve learned so much of the “why” behind a specific bake - why it rises, why it didn’t turn out just right, why it was SO spectacularly delicious…SIFT is far more than a cookbook, it’s an instruction manual that explains the ins and outs of different staple ingredients like eggs, sugar, flour... The first half teaches you these principles of baking and the second half is filled with the most delectable recipes divided in ones that take up an afternoon, a day, or a weekend.
I’ve been extreeeemely privileged to taste many of these recipes and have even tried making quite a few myself. My personal favorite recipes in the book? The fennel tarte tatin, tomato parmesan linzer, toasted flour chamomile cake, and these langues de chat cookies.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned chef or someone who has just bought their first set of baking bowls, this book will teach you not only everything you need to know about baking but also answer any WHYs you’ve ever had about it. SIFT is truly a one of a kind book and as a reader, you can really tell how much work went into it.
Although I adore Nicola as a human, I really believe that SIFT is a baking bible that will live in households across the globe from this point forward.
Nicola’s Langues de Chat Recipe
… a special ode to Pancake, Nicola’s chat
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I wanted to share this specific recipe with you for many reasons.
Firstly, because I love it. A langue de chat is an incredibly nostalgic cookie for me but I had never actually made one myself so this seems like the right opportunity!
Secondly, in Nicola’s book, these cookies are included in a recipe for Caramel Poached Oranges with a Lillet Sabayon… When she and I traveled to Bordeaux last year for the Lillet Festival, she whipped up this phenomenal dessert out of no where (classic her) and then included it in the book. I guess you can say I was one of the original recipe tasters?
Thirdly, Nicola has a cat named Pancake so these are actually Langue de Pancake cookies.
Ingredients
40g softened butter
55g icing sugar
Zest of 1/2 orange optional in her book but just do it
30g egg whites about 1
45g plain flour
10g cornflour
Pinch flaky sea salt
What to do
Preheat your oven to 190C/170C fan
By hand or in a stand mixer, mix the butter and icing sugar together until well combines, as well as the zest if using.
Add the egg white, little by little - it can be a bit hard to combine so do it slowly. If you add too much and it splits apart you can warm up the bowl slightly, then beat it until it comes together
Finally, stir through the dry ingredients
Pipe long thin biscuits onto baking paper (thinner than mine in the video if you don’t want them as chunky as my final result) then bake for 5-7 minutes or until just turning golden at the edges.
Leave to cool on the tray and enjooooooy!
The biscuits can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for 3 days.
Get your copy of SIFT here! and if you’re in LA…
I love it! Pancake is my favourite guest star