Oftentimes I incorporate cocoa nib tuiles in a plated dessert or serve them with sorbets such as mango-passion fruit, raspberry or chocolate. They are also terrific when dipped in tempered chocolate for enhanced flavor complexity. They work equally well with milk or dark chocolate.
Coated in tempered milk chocolate, the cocoa nib temperament is pronounced clearly and then they are excellent when paired with coffee or espresso. If dipped in semi or bitter sweet tempered chocolate I suggest serving them with hot cocoa or Port for a delicious treat.
Cocoa nibs are available raw, roasted and caramelized roasted. Any variety will work in most pastry applications. For simply snacking or a quick sprinkle on gelato or sorbet I do prefer the caramelized version.
The family of tuiles has one downfall which is that they cannot tolerate humidity well. They simply attract moisture to them. So after preparing these they have to be quickly stored in an airtight container and perhaps stored with a desiccant. A great solution is simply to consume these within a few hours of making! Another way out is to dip them entirely into tempered chocolate of choice and thus essentially make them impervious.
Click here for the recipe: http://www.chefeddy.com/2009/09/cocoa-nib-tuiles/
