Almond Tuile Cups with Raspberry Sorbet

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Have a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Invert 12 ramekins or tea cups on the counter.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in the whites, butter and almond extract until well combined. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter about 6 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Spread the batter with the back of a spoon into 5-inch rounds. Sprinkle each round with sliced almonds and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 5 to 8 minutes.

With a thin spatula, quickly remove the cookies one at a time from the baking sheet and drape on top of a ramekin to create a cup shape. (If the cookies become too brittle, replace on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 seconds to soften.)

Cool the tuiles completely on the ramekins, then gently lift off and transfer to a platter until ready to use.

Yield : about 12 RASPBERRY SORBET:

In a heavy saucepan have the sugar and water combined and boiled. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until completely chilled, about 3 hours. 

Measure 3 cups of the syrup, saving the rest for another use.

Divide the 3 cups of syrup, raspberries, and lemon juice into 2 equal portions.

In a food processor, process 1 batch on high speed until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Do the same with the other batch and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Pour the raspberry mixture into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's directions.

Plate sorbet in the tuile cups and garnish with raspberries, mint and powdered sugar.

Yield : 1 quart