The Cultural Dish: Palmiers (Elephant Ears)

I've recently taken a few months off from blogging in order to get settled at my new job and to plan my upcoming wedding! However, I have missed sharing recipes and indulging in others for too long! Therefore, I am hoping to be back every week with a new recipe in order to pick up where I left off.

In anticipation of my upcoming nuptials and honeymoon to Italy and Southern France, I decided to post one of my favorite French cookie recipes - Cinnamon-Sugar Palmiers! I love these cookies so much because they have a nice and crunchy outside with a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth inside. The fact that these cookies also bake into a shape resembling elephant ears is not so bad either!

Made from puff pastry, these delectable little treats are not only a great dessert, but also a great morning or afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

Palmiers (Elephant Ears)

Ingredients:

-1sheet of Puff Pastry dough, thawed
-1 cup of sugar
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
-Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 of the sugar and salt and pour it out onto a flat, clean surface. Unfold the puff pastry sheet and lay it on top of the sugar.

Then, combine the rest of the sugar with the cinnamon, and spread the entire mixture out evenly on top of the puff pastry dough.

Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough until it is about a 13inch square and all of the sugar is pressed into the dough. Take the sides of the dough, and fold halfway so that they meet in the middle. Fold the two folds again so that they meet again in the middle. Then, fold one half on top of the other so that you have one long row of dough with six layers.

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the dough in 1-inch slices. Make sure you cut the slices lightly. If you press down too hard when cutting, it will push the dough together and the cookies will not take their shape as well.

You should end up with approximately 36-38 slices. Place the slices, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment (the sugar will melt and stick to your pan otherwise). Bake the cookies for about 6 minutes, or until caramelized on the bottom. Flip the cookies over with a spatula and return to the oven to bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cookies are caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.