Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers
By Cindy Mushet
Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers
By Cindy Mushet
Yield/Serves:
Makes about 35 palmiers
- ½ recipe (about 1½pounds) Homemade Laminated Dough
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more as needed
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
Named (in French) for their resemblance to a palm frond, palmiers are also called elephant ears or butterfly wings. Traditionally, they are made with puff pastry that is rolled out in sugar rather than flour, then folded with additional sugar, thinly sliced, and baked. Because they are sliced and laid cut side down on the baking sheet, they expand sideways instead of upward, resulting in “ears ” that showcase the many layers contained in the dough. Here, we prepare palmiers using laminated dough. Palmiers will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
Generously dust work surface with sugar. Place the dough in the center and sprinkle the top with sugar, covering it completely. Roll into a 16x10-inch rectangle, using additional sugar as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.
Position the dough so that one of the long edges is parallel to the edge of your work surface.
Using a ruler and the back of a chef’s knife, mark a line dividing the dough in half vertically where each half measures 8x10 inches. Using the ruler and knife again, mark each half vertically into quarters (every 2 inches). Fold the two short edges toward the center, bending them at the first mark and lining up the edges at the second mark in each half.
Repeat until the folded edges reach the center mark. Tighten each side to leave a 1/4 inch space down the center of the dough. Fold one side on top of the other, forming a 10-inch long cylinder. If you look at an end of the cylinder, you’ll see the shape of a heart. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Preheat oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the center. Place the remaining sugar in a small mixing bowl and stir together with cinnamon. Trim the ends of the cylinder if they are uneven or cracked, then cut twelve ¼-inch-thick slices from the chilled cylinder, dip each side in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Rewrap and return the cylinder to the refrigerator. Bake the cookies until golden at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. With a small metal offset spatula, flip each cookie over. Return to the oven and bake until they are golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Slice and bake the additional cookies (use new baking sheets each time to prevent palmiers from melting if using a straight out of the oven baking sheet) or freeze the remaining dough for another day. Serve on its own, or with ice cream, sorbet, mousse, or a cup of tea.
Generously dust work surface with sugar. Place the dough in the center and sprinkle the top with sugar, covering it completely. Roll into a 16x10-inch rectangle, using additional sugar as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.
Position the dough so that one of the long edges is parallel to the edge of your work surface.
Using a ruler and the back of a chef’s knife, mark a line dividing the dough in half vertically where each half measures 8x10 inches. Using the ruler and knife again, mark each half vertically into quarters (every 2 inches). Fold the two short edges toward the center, bending them at the first mark and lining up the edges at the second mark in each half.
Repeat until the folded edges reach the center mark. Tighten each side to leave a 1/4 inch space down the center of the dough. Fold one side on top of the other, forming a 10-inch long cylinder. If you look at an end of the cylinder, you’ll see the shape of a heart. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Preheat oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the center. Place the remaining sugar in a small mixing bowl and stir together with cinnamon. Trim the ends of the cylinder if they are uneven or cracked, then cut twelve ¼-inch-thick slices from the chilled cylinder, dip each side in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Rewrap and return the cylinder to the refrigerator. Bake the cookies until golden at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. With a small metal offset spatula, flip each cookie over. Return to the oven and bake until they are golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Slice and bake the additional cookies (use new baking sheets each time to prevent palmiers from melting if using a straight out of the oven baking sheet) or freeze the remaining dough for another day. Serve on its own, or with ice cream, sorbet, mousse, or a cup of tea.