Four-Spice Palmiers

Left over puff pastry in your refrigerator or just craving a crunchy and buttery treat?  Make some palmiers.  I had a sheet of puff pastry left over from the galette des rois that I had made, and decided to make some palmiers, also called elephant ears.

  

 

 

When I worked at Julia’s Kitchen in Napa, we made a similar version of these with our morning pastries, and they were very popular.  These are buttery, crunchy, sugary and have a little extra spice.  I’ve added a four-spice mixture to the sugar that is sprinkled in between the folds and on top of the palmiers.

  

 

 

If you already have the puff pastry, these are super easy to make.  All you need are sugar and spices.  You can use store-bought puff pastry, but once you make homemade puff pastry, you won’t want any other.

  

 

 

 Four-Spice Palmier

(Makes about 32 palmiers)

  

 

 1 sheet puff pastry, very cold and rolled to a 16x16-inch square and 1/8-inch thick

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus an extra 3 tablespoons

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

  

Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  Sprinkle a generous portion (about 3 tablespoons) of the mixture onto the sheet of puff pastry.  Starting at the outer edges, fold over 2 1/2 inches of the puff towards the center of  the sheet.  Do this on both sides.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture.

  

From both outer edges, fold another 2 1/2 inches over towards the center.  Do this on both sides.  At this point, the folds will meet in the center.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture.

 

Fold the two parts together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  

Preheat the oven to 410ºF and place parchment paper on two baking sheets.

Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and slice into even slices, 3/8-1/2 inch in thickness.  Place on the baking sheet, leaving a 3-inch space between each palmier.  Sprinkle the tops of each sliced palmier, first with the spiced-sugar mixture, then again with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden.  Cool slightly. Enjoy!

 

Related Posts:

Celebrate Epiphany with Galette des Rois

Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Lunch at Pavillon Margaux

Paris Pastries and Ten Top Patisseries in Paris

The Dish from France: Viennoiserie

Fraisier to Celebrate My First Blog Birthday

Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

 

 

Comments

[My Carolina Kitchen]

I've always wanted to make these but have been shy because they looked hard. Your pictures have proved that's not so....you've made them look easy and within my reach to prepare. Thanks.
Sam

[Anamaris Cousins Price]

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! These look AWESOME! Yummmmmy!

[Mari]

They look beautiful, edible, delicious! These are my favorite. Thanks for sharing his recipe!
Mari

[Cora]

This looks really good, I'd love to try it but I can't buy puff pastry in Panama. Too bad. I request it often but with no success. How do you make the real puff pastry?

[TeenieCakes]

Looks so good and beautiful...and with that awesome food image I can almost taste it and imagine its texture. I'm gonna try it!

[Maryse]

They look great. I've never made puff pastry from scratch. It seems so hard. Is it? Love baking too. I'll visit your site again. If you want to take a break from the kitchen, you're welcome to read my blog: www.bluamaryllis.wordpress.com
Find the 'coleslaw' piece. I think you'll like it. Thanks!
Maryse

[Jozee Pizzurro]

They would make a nice addition to a week-end breakfast. Looks delicious!

[Jeanne]

I have never tried palmiers before, but these sound amazing with all the spices! They have a very unique shape to them, and it looks like they're fun to make.

[lululu]

yeah, i love puff pastry! and it goes perfectly well with those spice!

[Memoria]

These look perfect! One of my goals is to perfect my puff pastry-making skills, so I will be sure to make these soon. yUM!

[Tangled Noodle]

From their heart shapes to their golden color, these palmiers are marvelous! I'm not sure if I'm ready to tackle making puff pastry (I have yet to wean myself from the bread machine and make a loaf by 'hand') but seeing these makes me daydream about the possibility. 8-)