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    Home » Recipes » Filipino Desserts and Kakanin

    Filipino Lengua de Gato Recipe

    by Jolina | Published: October 21, 2020 | Last Updated: April 10, 2021 | 17 Comments
    This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Terms of Use for more information.

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    Lengua de Gato Recipe
    Filipino Lengua de Gato Recipe

    Lengua de gato are Filipino butter cookies that are thin, crispy and so buttery. They’re very easy to make at home so you can enjoy them with your coffee, tea or whenever the craving hits.

    (Are you a fan of butter cookies? These melt-in-your-mouth, buttery shortbread cookies will definitely make you happy!)

    Jump To hide
    Lengua de gato in english
    How to make lengua de gato
    The best lengua de gato recipe
    How to store lengua de gato cookies
    How to package lengua de gato
    Recipe and baking tips
    Filipino Lengua de Gato Recipe
    More cookie recipes for Christmas

    I’m usually Team Chewy when it comes to cookies. Given a choice, I would pick the soft and chewy cookie 99% of the time. The 1% is reserved for really special cookies, like lengua de gato.

    Lengua de gato cookies are popular pasalubong (roughly translated: souvenir) from Baguio, known as the summer capital of the Philippines. In a country where the average temperature is 30C / 86F, Baguio’s temperature has been known to dip down to 15C / 59C and lower (and that’s a very big deal).

    The best lengua de gato is without a doubt from the Good Shepherd convent (yes, the same place that makes the best uba halaya, which inspired my homemade ube halaya recipe). Perfectly crispy, just the right thickness (that is to say, thin!), not too sweet, totally addicting.

    This lengua de gato recipe results to the same thin, buttery, crispy cookies we love and grew up with. And they are surprisingly easy to make too! Let’s get to it.

    Lengua de gato in english

    Before that, though, in case you’re wondering about the name, lengua de gato is Spanish for “cat’s tongue”. And these cookies are called that because of their shape.

    The cookies are oval, rectangular-ish, similar to a cat’s tongue. I’m a dog person myself so I had to google pictures of cats lol but yeah, it totally makes sense.

    How to make lengua de gato

    Making lengua de gato is easier than you think. The ingredients are pantry staples:

    • Unsalted butter
    • Granulated sugar
    • Egg whites
    • Vanilla extract 
    • All-purpose flour
    • Salt

    I use my stand mixer to make the cookie dough but you can use a handheld electric mixer too.

    To get evenly sized cookies, I use a large, disposable piping bag but if you don’t have one, you can use a Ziploc bag instead. Just cut one of the corners/tips.

    There’s really no excuse not to make these delicious cookies!

    The best lengua de gato recipe

    1 PREHEAT. Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets or cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside.

    2 BUTTER. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until soft and creamy (2-3 minutes).

    Stick of butter in a mixing bowl

    3 SUGAR. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes). Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl.

    Butter and sugar in a mixing bowl
    Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl

    4 VANILLA AND EGG WHITES. Add vanilla extract and egg whites and beat until incorporated (4-5 minutes).

    Butter, sugar, vanilla and egg whites in a mixing bowl

    5 FLOUR AND SALT. Switch to low speed and gradually add flour and salt until combined.

    Flour added to butter mixture
    Cookie dough in a mixing bowl

    6 PIPING BAG. Transfer the cookie dough into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with one of the tips cut to about ½ inch in diameter.

    Cookie dough in a piping bag

    7 PIPE. Pipe 3-inch long cookies on your prepared baking pans, allowing about an inch of space around each cookie.

    Cookie dough being piped on a cookie sheet
    Lengua de gato ready to bake

    8 BAKE. Bake the lengua de gato for 12-15 minutes or until they’re dry in the middle and starting to turn a light brown on the edges. 

    9 COOL. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cookies to slightly cool in the pan. After a few minutes, slide the parchment paper into a cooling rack to allow the lengua de gato to cool completely. Carefully peel cookies from the parchment paper and enjoy!

    How to store lengua de gato cookies

    Lengua de gato can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for about a week. Keeping them in an airtight container ensures they don’t go stale or soft sooner.

    And make sure the cookies cool completely before storing.

    How to package lengua de gato

    I remember lengua de gato are usually sold in plastic containers with those yellow plastic caps. The cookies are arranged standing up and packed pretty tightly together. 

    I understand now that this is because these cookies are fragile and can break easily. So the traditional way of packaging them is the happy path that results to the fewest cookies breaking in half.

    If you’re giving these away for Christmas or selling them, best to add a piece of food grade packaging tissue paper around the cookies to protect them from the tin they’re in. Makes it look pretty and festive too!

    Recipe and baking tips

    I find this cookie recipe more forgiving than others. Here are more tips to make baking lengua de gato that much easier!

    • As with most baking recipes, start with softened butter. This will make mixing your dough easier and help you avoid over-mixing it.
    • The key to baking evenly sized and evenly baked cookies is piping evenly sized cookie dough on your pan. You don’t have to measure each one; just do your best to make each cookie roughly the same size (see photo above).
    • Another important little gadget that all bakers must have and one that I highly recommend is an oven thermometer. It’s inexpensive and ensures you’re baking at the correct temperature every time.
    • When baking cookies on 2 pans, I use the convection bake feature on our oven which ensures hot air is circulated around the cavity of the oven, reducing hot and cool spots and helping pans on every rack cook evenly. If you don’t have this, and especially if your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate pans halfway through baking.

    Lengua de gato are so easy to make, buttery and delicious, and ready in 15 minutes. They’re a great addition to your cookie recipe box and makes for a lovely gift this holiday season.

    Filipino Lengua de Gato Recipe

    Author: Jolina
    Lengua de gato are Filipino butter cookies that are thin, crispy and so buttery. They’re very easy to make at home so you can enjoy them with your coffee, tea or whenever the craving hits.
    5 from 47 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Filipino
    Servings 60 cookies
    Calories 28 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer
    • Piping Bags
    • Baking Sheets

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 pcs egg whites from large eggs room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • pinch salt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets or cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside (see notes).
    • In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup butter on medium-high speed until soft and creamy (2-3 minutes).
    • Add ½ cup sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes). Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl.
      Butter and sugar in a mixing bowl
    • Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and egg whites and beat until incorporated (4-5 minutes).
      Butter, sugar, vanilla and egg whites in a mixing bowl
    • Switch to low speed and gradually add 1 cup flour and a pinch of salt until combined.
      Flour added to butter mixture
    • Transfer the cookie dough into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with one of the tips cut to about ½ inch in diameter.
      Cookie dough in a piping bag
    • Pipe 3-inch long cookies on your prepared baking pans, allowing about an inch of space around each cookie.
      Lengua de gato ready to bake
    • Bake the lengua de gato for 12-15 minutes or until they’re dry in the middle and starting to turn a light brown on the edges. 
    • Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cookies to slightly cool in the pan. After a few minutes, slide the parchment paper into a cooling rack to allow the lengua de gato to cool completely. Carefully peel cookies from the parchment paper and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    1. Total number of cookies depend on how big/long you pipe your cookie dough. I usually get at least 60 cookies from this recipe.
    2. I use these large cookie sheets – Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Big Sheet.
    3. See post for complete step-by-step photos, baking and storage tips.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 28kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 2mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 47IUCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional information are estimates only.

    Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating today!Also tag @iamtheunlikelybaker I’d love to see your creations.

    Happy baking!

    Did you make lengua de gato? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

    More cookie recipes for Christmas

    If you’re looking for more cookie recipes to bake over the holidays, these are easy, delicious and so merry!

    Ube Crinkles Recipe (with video)
    Ube Crinkles
    Cornflakes Meringue Recipe
    Meringue Cornflake Cookies
    Snickers Cookies Recipe
    Snickers Cookies
    Double Chocolate Chewy M&M Cookies
    Chewy M&M Cookies

    Ube crinkles are soft, fluffy and bursting with the ube flavour you love.

    Meringue cornflake cookies are delightfully chewy, filled with crunchy cornflakes and bursting with bits of chocolate chips. It’s the kind of cookie you’d love to eat on a cold winter day, sitting by the fire, sipping hot chocolate or warm milk.

    Snickers cookies are soft, chewy and packed with pieces of Snickers candy bar in every bite.

    Chewy M&M cookies are the best kind of chocolate cookies — soft and chewy, so chocolatey and a breeze to make! Use holiday M&Ms and you’ll have cookies that will be the star of your Christmas cookie tray.

    More Filipino Desserts and Kakanin

    • Ginataang Mais Recipe
    • Calamansi Pie Recipe
    • Flan Cupcakes Recipe
    • Ube Pound Cake
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrienne

      December 23, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      Does 2pcs egg whites mean 2 whole eggs or 2 eggs without the yolks?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Jolina

        January 03, 2023 at 8:45 am

        Hi Adrienne, it means egg whites from 2 eggs.

        Reply
    2. Michael S.

      November 26, 2021 at 12:00 am

      4 stars
      The cookies taste great on its own and I add lemon zesty to brighten them a bit.

      But.

      Pray do tell, how do you get 60 cookies from this recipe? I get at max 20.

      Reply
      • Jolina

        November 26, 2021 at 10:35 am

        Hi Michael, the yield depends on how big or small you pipe your cookies. I use a piping bag with the end cut off that’s about 1/2 inch in diameter. And my cookies are about 3 inches long. If you look at the photos in the post, they’re very thin going into the oven so I’m able to fill 2 commercial size baking sheets with them.

        Reply
    3. winkle

      May 26, 2021 at 7:41 pm

      can you use salted butter?

      Reply
      • Jolina

        May 28, 2021 at 9:18 am

        Hi Winkle, yes you can. Then you can skip the pinch of salt.

        Reply
    4. BM

      February 27, 2021 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      The recipe is perfect . Not too sweet, buttery and texture is crispy. This recipe is a keeper. Will bake it again and will give it as a treat for the holidays. 2 thumbs.

      Reply
      • Jolina

        March 01, 2021 at 2:02 pm

        Hi BM glad you like it! This is always a hit at Christmas though always a yummy everyday treat too 🙂

        Reply
    5. Badette

      December 09, 2020 at 12:35 am

      5 stars
      Thank you your lengua de gato recipe Jolina. Made it 2x already and this time my cookies came out perfectly. I made sure to make them same sizes and rotated my pan. Ready to give out for Christmas! Tastes like the ones from Manila. Happy holidays!

      Reply
      • Jolina

        December 10, 2020 at 2:22 pm

        Hi Badette! Glad you liked them! And yay for everyone receiving them this Christmas 🙂 Happy holidays!

        Reply
    6. May

      November 07, 2020 at 7:36 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jolina! Thank for the recipe. It’s my first time making lengua de gato and some browned more than the others but they’re all delicious. I’m planning to make these for christmas so I think I have to practice more. May I ask where did you get those containers in the pictures?

      Reply
      • Jolina

        November 09, 2020 at 4:53 pm

        Hi May! Glad you liked them. I get some uneven browning too; try to rotate your pans next time 🙂 I got those tins from Ikea years ago. Hopefully they’re still available.

        Reply
    7. Clarie

      November 02, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Yum! I love lengua de gato! I didn’t think it was this easy to make. I’m going to make this soon. Thanks Jolina!

      Reply
    8. Stephanie

      October 29, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      These are so easy to make and delicious! I love that the ingredients are so easy to find to bring this international dish to my kitchen.

      Reply
    9. Elizabeth

      October 21, 2020 at 11:14 pm

      Lengua de gato is one of my favourites. I have fond memories of Baguio! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jolina

        October 30, 2020 at 10:21 am

        Mine too! And I do hope to visit Baguio again one day 🙂 Enjoy the cookies!

        Reply
      • Candy

        October 13, 2021 at 10:12 am

        5 stars
        @Jolina, this cookies is so great for snack I have left over whites eggs thank so much

        Reply

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