cook like james

This is a classic French cookie, found in almost every patisserie in Paris. They are super easy to make at home with the help of store bought puff pastry. Pepperidge Farm will work, but try find Dufour or Trader Joe’s Artisan puff pastry which I think has a much more buttery flavor.  The rolled dough will keep in the freezer until you’re ready to slice and bake the Palmiers, so it’s also a great “make-ahead” recipe. Makes 24 Palmiers.

Download Quick and Easy Puff Pastry French Palmiers recipe 

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cardamom

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed (Dufour or Trader Joe’s Artisan Puff Pastry work best)

1. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the mixture on a clean work surface. Unroll 1 sheet of puff pastry and lay on sugared surface and sprinkle top with 3 tablespoons of sugar mixture. Top with second sheet of puff pastry and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Using a rolling pin, gently roll pastry sheets into a 10x12” rectangle.

2. Roll both short sides of dough toward the center until they meet in the center, making sure to roll tightly and evenly. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Remove dough from freezer and slice half of the dough into twelve 3/8” pieces using a thin sharp knife. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 ½ inches apart. Wrap remaining dough in plastic and freeze until ready to bake next batch. 

5. Bake until Palmiers begin to turn brown, about 14 minutes. Using spatula, flip cookies over, then rotate sheet and continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 4-6 minutes longer. Quickly transfer Palmiers to wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough to make 12 more Palmiers.