Barquillos

Barquillos are a filipino wafer that are easy to make, look great, and pair well with vanilla ice cream or a cappucino. Some recipes use specific trays/molds, but I used a regular baking sheet. I wasn’t sure if I needed to use parchment paper or not so I tried with and without; I found that without is a little easier as long as you have a non-stick tray (I always suggest Chicago Metallic based on my experience working in a cookware store).

The recipe is very simple, all you need is egg whites, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, and sugar. One recipe I saw added lemon zest, so I grated that in right before pouring in the flour. I grated until the batter smelled of lemon, probably about a teaspoon of zest.

Start by creaming butter, sugar, and vanilla until soft and fluffy. The recipe says to add egg whites bit by bit but I just tossed them all in and blended. My batter wasn’t totally smooth, the butter was a little lumpy, but my barquillos still turned out well. Now add lemon zest if you want, then flour. Fold it together, don’t blend, it will some together slowly.

Now spoon it onto your tray. Spread each spoon of batter into small circles; the recipe suggests three inches across. For me, smaller circles worked better, about two inches across. Large circles tended to tear as I lifted them for the tray–they may just take a little longer to cook.

Cook the barquillos at 375° for about seven minutes, or until the edges are brown. When you take them out of the oven, immediately lift them from the tray and wrap them around a wooden spoon handle. Then place them on a cooling rack until they are firm and crisp.