Classically found at French pastry shops, palmiers go by many names: elephant ears, French hearts, or palm leaves, to name a few. These delicate cookies may look fancy, but they’re a cinch to make at home, thanks to a few shortcuts. You’ll need just two ingredients: frozen puff pastry and granulated sugar.
This easy dessert recipe layers sheets of thawed, store-bought puff pastry with granulated sugar. Folding the dough over itself builds sweet, flaky layers, but the real magic of this palmiers recipe rests in the shaping of the dough. Folding the dough into what amounts to two spirals that meet in the middle gives these cookies their distinctive shape that, when baked, much resembles a heart. They’d be perfect for Valentine’s Day, but you don’t need an occasion to bake palmiers. As long as you’ve thought ahead to thaw the puff pastry, these buttery, crisp cookies can be ready in under 30 minutes; make them whenever you need dessert, fast.
Dipping the unbaked cookies in sugar helps them caramelize on the baking sheet, and flipping them halfway through cooking allows both sides to crisp beautifully. Feel free to customize this recipe: Mix the sugar with cinnamon or cardamom to make spiced palmiers, or rub the sugar with lemon zest for a citrusy touch. Enjoy these palmier cookies with a cup of tea or on their own for a sweet post-dinner bite.
Recipe notes
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