Sweet and Simple Palmiers

 

One of the easiest, and most elegant, cookies you'll ever bake

Elegant puff pastry palmiers are one of my all-time favorite cookies. So crispy and buttery! Plus, it feels so fancy to set them on a tray for afternoon tea. I'll tell you a little secret, too: they are super easy to make.

I use store-bought puff pastry to make my palmiers, and this is the secret to my success. I have a box or two of the dough in the freezer at all times. It's a simple matter of taking out a sheet, letting it thaw, and then rolling it into palmiers for a quick afternoon treat.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to try your hand at making your own puff pastry, by all means go for it! Homemade puff pastry is labor intensive, but it has better flavor and more puff than store-bought.

Palmiers are also a wonderfully versatile cookie. I make them with anything from a simple dusting of sugar to a spread of jam. Take a look at the variations after the recipe for more ideas.

Sweet and Simple Palmiers

Makes about 18 cookies.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1/4 cup (roughly) granulated, demerara or brown sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Unwrap the puff pastry and lay it on a clean work surface. Cover to prevent the dough from drying out and let it thaw until completely pliable but still cool. It's very important that the dough be completely thawed before using.

Sprinkle the sugar over the dough in a single thick coating. Run a rolling pin over the pastry to press the sugar into the dough and help it adhere. Tightly roll two opposite edges of the pastry inward so they meet in the middle. Wrap the rolled log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20-30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 F. Place a rack in the middle position.

Use a serrated knife to slice the roll into cookies roughly 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing 2 inches of expansion room between each one. Flatten each cookie slightly using the bottom of a cup. Brush each cookie with melted butter and sprinkle a little more sugar over the tops.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Cookies will be less crispy but still delicious the next day.

Instead of (or in addition to!) simple sugar, try one of these variations:

Cinnamon and sugar

Citrus zest and sugar

A thin spread of jam

Nutella

Finely shredded cheese (for a savory twist!)

 

 RSS    

 

MORE RECIPES:   DESSERT | PASTA | SEAFOOD | WOLFGANG PUCK

Recipes

 

More Recipes

Sweet and Simple Palmiers

Copyright © 2011 Tribune Media Services Inc.