The trouble with Palmiers...

My friend Alfie called yesterday. Actually, it was one of a few conversations we had during the day. As on most days, it was quite the animated chat, a mishmash of everything we can think of talking about (movies, books, fashion, makeup, perfume, shopping, Olympics, food and wine, our Netflix Queues), as if we are on a timer, against the clock.

Alfie: "I found this this recipe I have to tell you about. It's Ina's (Garten). Fabulous! You should make these. Palmiers. Easy peasy!  I made them today and they were a hit and were scarfed down immediately".

Me: Of course, shoot!" As we are both on the computer she tells me where to look up the recipe (Food Network.com) I copy it (the Ina Garten Palmier recipe has dissapeared since, overnight! It shows as an expired recipe on the site. Aww!) , print it and promise to make them and 'report later"

I was thinking: I'll give it a go and what's the worst that can happen? That they do not come out right? Right! So…off I went, to defrost the puff pastry dough I had in the freezer. The one purchased on Sunday from DeLaurenti (their own, at $2.99 per package) and that I love to keep around at all times for last minute dessert or appetizer ideas and because, let's face it,  I am just too lazy to spend all day making my own.

I get the marble ready, the rolling pin, the cardamom (ground and oh so fragrant! Purchased from The Souk, at Pike Place Market) and cinnamon. With the oven pre-heated to 450F, the Exopat and Baking Sheet (both from City Kitchens) ready and plenty of sugar to roll away with, I start the Palmiers.

The process was simple, quick (the store bought puff pastry dough made all the difference) and very enjoyable.  I made two batches of four Palmiers: one with cinnamon and one with cardamom. It made the kitchen and my hands smell absolutely delectable.

In the oven, at 450F, 6 minutes of baking was not enough to get the Palmiers to their golden crusty yet soft center point. So I gave them a turn and baked for 3 more minutes. The cookies looked lovely, albeit a bit unshapely. Somewhere along the way I must have not rolled them out properly or perhaps they were not chilled enough as the little curls opened up and out a little too much. The looked more like hearts than what Palmiers are supposed to look like.

But you know what? The second I took a bite of my first home made Palmier I was hooked. This first batch would never win any Blue Ribbons for looks but oh my! The flavor, the flakiness, the crunch, the tender center! Cardamom and Cinnamon, two of my favorite spices, infused these babies with such flavor and fragrance it was just impossible to resist the impulse to eat them all.  By the time I thought about reaching for the camera to take a photo, the Palmiers along with a tall glass of milk were half gone.

Although I have not been a big cookie eater since my Sesame Street, grade school days, I ate all the 8 Palmiers I made last night (ok, I was home alone and they came out tiny, so there!). I'll keep practicing my rolling of the dough skills and improvising of sweet and savory flavorings and fillings for future batches (later this week). But for now, the trouble with Palmiers is that they are, for the most part, too easy to make and just too tasty to have only one.

Comments

[racegrrli]

I googled Ina's Palmier recipe and your site came on the list. Thank God because the foodnet is still not show her recipe!

Thanks for your site!!!!

[CHERYL SMITH]

I AM IN DESPERATE NEED OF INA GARTEN'S PALMIERS AND MANGO DAIQUIRI.

DOES ANYONE HAVE THESE RECIPES?

THEY ARE EXPIRED ON THE FOOD NETWORK WEBSITE AND WHO KNOWS WHEN THEY WILL BE BACK AGAIN

HELP!

Hi Cheryl! Here's Ina Garten's Palmiers recipe:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board or marble. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Mango Daquiris

Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
3/4 cup white rum
Crushed Ice

Instructions
Place the mango and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
Process until blended. Add the sugar syrup and the rum. Pulse to mix.

Pour the mixture over a glass full of crushed ice.

Note: To make sugar syrup, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

Hope this helps! :-) V

[Mindy]

I was having the same problem until I started to roll them. Instead of folding them towards the middle, roll each side until it meets the middle. The I turned them over to cut them so that they were not squished. They are now pretty every time! Hope that helps.

[Kim]

oh dear....but where is the recipe???????? argh! I'm ready to bake!

[Margaret]

I constantly bought Palmiers when I was in France; it was my favorite pastry.

[Seattle Bon Vivant]

They were tasty Alfie but although I thought I was following your instructions, as you can see, the shape is not quite right. I've been practicing for the last 3 evenings. Will keep on trying until I get them right. :-)

[alfie]

Oh my, yummmmmmmm, they look very tasty indeed!! Thanks for sharing your luscious pics!!