Langue de Chat

What Is a Langue de Chat?

Langue de chat, French for “cat’s tongue,” is a sweet, wafer-thin biscuit made from whipped egg whites, butter, flour, and sugar. This long, narrow cookie that resembles a ladyfinger has iterations around the world, though most of the recipes feature the traditional ingredient and look. Japan’s updated take on the classic dessert features two round langues de chat sealed together with a layer of white chocolate filling.

While the recipe for the classic cookie is minimal, bakers can add an array of toppings to customize the treat, including chopped nuts, a dusting of fine sugar or cocoa powder, or a coating of dark chocolate.

What do I need to bake lidah kucing/langues de chat cookies?

You will need:

• 1⁄4 cup (60 gram) unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup (100 gram) sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60 gram (1⁄2 cup) all-purpose flour

Do I need 2 egg whites or 1 egg? Your choice!

Most lidah kucing/langues de chat recipes call for 2 egg whites instead of 1 egg, but I have experimented with both and I can’t detect that much difference between the two, and using 1 egg is much simpler than 2 egg whites.

But, if you want to stick with a more traditional recipe, feel free to use 2 egg whites.

How do I shape and bake lidah kucing/langues de chat cookies?

Let’s walk through the steps to bake these cute cookies.

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius). Line 2–3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside, or grease with butter generously.

2. Cream butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg and vanilla. Then add egg and vanilla, continue mixing until smooth, about 2–3 minutes.
Note: If using two egg whites, then first add one egg white and vanilla, mix until combined, then add another egg white, and mix again until combined.

4. Add flour. Fold in all-purpose flour with a spatula until the batter is smooth.

5. Pipe the cookie dough. Transfer cookie dough to a piping bag attached with a plain 1⁄4” tip, pipe into thin strips about 3” long on the prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave plenty of room (around 2”) since the cookies spread considerably during baking. If you are using half-sheet pans, each pan should fit 24 cookies: 8 in the long direction, and 3 in the short direction.
Note: If you don’t have a piping bag, you can also use a ziplock bag, and cut one of the triangular ends off with a scissor.

6. Bake the cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

7. Cool and store. Remove the cookies from the oven, cool completely on a wire rack, then store in an air-tight container. The cookies should be fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature.

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