Cooking Lesson #89 Palmiers — Pig Ears or Elephant Ears

Palmiers... Pig or Elephant Ears

How you doin’? No one would ever accuse me of being a shrinking violet, but back in baking school when I heard that we were going to make puff pastry again, I would quake in my clogs. For some reason this was one of the more difficult things for me to get right.
 
Puff pastry is just a simple laminated base dough like the doughs used in croissants—only without yeast. The butter is actually put inside the dough, making a paton which is repeatedly folded and rolled out before baking—alternating layers of dough and very cold butter, rolled, batted and folded over to create 68 flaky layers—count ‘em 68.
 
The ingredients are simple… the technique, not so easy. My friend Henry (Bavarian Specialties) found a way to automate the process with a quarter mile production line with over 400 motors. That may give you an idea of the complexity of puff pastry dough.
 
Fear not! I have a simple solution for you! Puff pastry, also known as pâte feuilleté, is a flaky light pastry with 101 uses, but why spend 2 days making it yourself when Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry is available (Trader Joe’s has an all-butter variety, as well). A box of this, ready-to-go frozen puff pastry is something of a miracle. If you’ve ever baked with it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It puffs into delicate, buttery layers (probably more than 68), turning even the most basic recipes into something that feels totally fancy.
 
It’s also super easy to use… all you need to do is pull the box out of the freezer and pop it in the oven. Well, not quite that easy, although I promise it’s almost that simple. Just remember to read the tips in the ChefSecret below and you’ll be on your way to light and flaky breakfast turnovers, bite-sized appetizers, savory tarts and Palmiers.
 
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10 to 12 minutes
Yield: 30 to 40 cookies
 
Ingredients
1 cup of unsalted melted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted, but still chilled (I use Pepperidge Farm)
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450⁰ F. and line your sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and salt together.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture onto a flat, hard surface—a wooden cutting board will do nicely.
4. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar.
5. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's about 1/4” thick. The sugar on the board will be pushed into the dough.
6. Brush 1/2 cup of butter over the top of the pastry sheet.
7. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the pastry. Don’t be bashful—coat it well—for an even covering of sugar.
8. Roll the opposite sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle to form the two sides of the pinwheel.
9. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle any leftover loose sugar mixture from the cutting board over the slices.
10. Repeat the same process with the second sheet of puff pastry dough (3 through 9).
11. Arrange the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets. (There may be quite a bit of sugar left on the board you sprinkle that on top of the formed pastry on the sheet pans.)
12. Put the sheet pans in the oven and turn then temperature down to 400⁰F.
13. Bake the puff pastry for 15 to 20 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom. If your oven has hot spots, shift the positions of the sheet pans in the oven for more even baking.
14. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.  After about 10 or 15 minutes, transfer the Palmiers to the wire rack to finish cooling.
15. Store in a dry, air-tight container.

ChefSecret: Follow these tips for baking with frozen puff pastry:

• Thaw your frozen puff pastry (preferably refrigerated, overnight).
• Unfold your pastry only when fully thawed to prevent cracking.
• Flour or sugar your work surface and your rolling pin so the pastry won’t stick.
• Use restraint with your rolling pin—you’re only rolling to 1/4” thick, not making paper.
• Cut with care—use a very sharp knife or bench scraper.

 
Covid19 Quip of the Day: Remember all those times when you wished the weekend would last forever. Well, Wish granted.  Happy Now?
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