Palmiers

This is the easiest dessert you will ever make. For the amount of work involved, the flavor and visual payoff is huge. These are also exceptionally useful: they can serve as a casse-croute with coffee or hot chocolate, a tea time treat, or part of a larger display at a reception, party or shower. I can also imagine them as the perfect petit four to close out a French dinner where cheese was served. They require only three ingredients. Give this a try!

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Thaw the puff pastry according to the instructions on the box.

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a jelly roll sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

Combine the sugar and salt. Evenly sprinkle a half cup of the sugar mixture on a very clean, very dry counter or large cutting board larger than 15" square. Lay the puff pastry on top of this. Sprinkle the other half of the sugar on top of the puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is a 13" square. The sugar will be pressed into the dough on both sides. Then, from the left side, fold the dough one-quarter toward the center. From the right side, fold the dough one quarter toward the center. Repeat for the left and the right and the dough will meet in the center. Fold it again like closing a book. There should be six layers total. There will be plenty of sugar left over. Using a very sharp knife, slice the dough into 3/8" slices.



Place them, cut side up, on the prepared sheet.



Cook in the oven for 6 minutes. Take the sheet out of the oven and flip the palmiers. Be careful in turning these. The sugar melts and is very hot! Cook in the oven another 3-6 minutes until both sides are golden and all the sugar has melted. Cool on the sheet. If the palmiers should not cook any further, if they are on the verge of being too brown, simply remove the palmiers from the sheet and cool on a non-porous surface. Once completely cool - the sugar will crisp - store in an airtight container. Best consumed within 2 days.



Each sheet of puff pastry will make two dozen palmiers.