How to make Lenguas de Gato, Thin Butter Cookies

Sometimes the old recipes are the best. I have been baking these Lenguas de Gato (translates to “cats’ tongues) for the longest time. These are probably the first cookie I baked when I was learning how to bake.

It all started with an excess of egg whites, leftover from making the custard favorite Leche Flan and homemade Ensaimadas (Filipino brioche). Back home, my late mom never wanted to throw away anything. Every ingredient, every bone, every fruit peel was transformed into something good. So with my extra egg whites I had to find a way to make use of them well, in keeping with my parents’ frugal ways. Today, even my sons have learned to bake them well, the way I taught them.

This Lenguas de Gato recipe evolved from several others I tried before. I first watched a friend bake these and that’s where I got the idea. Then later, I baked some for classmates and friends. During the holidays, I like to place them in cookie canisters and put a bright bow. It is always a gift that’s enjoyed by many.

A warning though: these thin, butter cookies are addictive. They may look slim and narrow, but once you start with one, it will be hard to put down the cookie jar. You have been warned.

A baking tip: these cookies are slim, thin and delicate. They bake fast. It’s best you don’t leave them unattended. Watch the baking time. My electric oven bakes them in 7 minutes. If your oven heats up fast and high, adjust baking time to less than 7 minutes.

For the complete recipe of my Lenguas de Gato, thin butter cookies, go to “The Happy Home Cook” of Positively Filipino, the premiere digital magazine celebrating Filipinos. Click recipe link here.

 

 

 

 

 

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