Imagine that you succumb to a biscuit that is both delicate and crispy, with a beautifully caramelized exterior and a tender, ethereal center. That’s the very essence of a palmier, a French delight that is surprisingly easy to make.
With a few simple ingredients, and even more easily if you start with store-bought puff pastry, you can bring these delicious treats to life in your own kitchen. No need for advanced culinary skills – just sprinkle, roll, and cut.
Let yourself be carried away by the magic of French pastry and try making this delicious palmier cookie recipe. The perfect addition to any sweet lover’s repertoire, you’ll savor these crispy, buttery bites in no time.
Palmier Cookies
Palmier cookies, also known as elephant ears, are delicious.
But their texture is almost better than their taste.
They are indescribably light and airy. However, they are also crisp and crunchy.
I love eating palmier cookies, and I mean literally the act of eating them.
It’s just fun to bite into this crispy, flaky delicacy.
As for the taste, they are off the charts as well.
They are sweet, cinnamon-flavored, and delightfully buttery.
You only use five ingredients and a little water to hold them together.
Then, once you’ve shaped them properly, they bake in no time!
If you add just one French food to your diet this year, make it palmier cookies.
Ingredients
To make palmier cookies, you only need five ingredients (plus water). These ingredients include:
- White sugar: You will use white sugar twice in this recipe. You’ll start by using 1/4 cup to dust your work surface. This makes it easier to flatten and roll out the puff pastry. You’ll also mix 1/3 cup of sugar with cinnamon and cardamom for the cookie topping. *Note: Some people prefer coarse sugar for this step because of its crunch. You can use it if you prefer, although the cookies may be slightly less sweet.
- Puff pastry: You can make homemade puff pastry for palmier cookies, but why waste all that time and effort? Store-bought puff pastry is delicious and super convenient.
- Butter: Butter serves a dual purpose in this recipe. First, it helps to hold the cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom topping in place on the cookies. Second, it imparts a rich, buttery flavor that is undeniably good.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a rich and warm flavor to the already sweet and delicious treats.
- Cardamom: Cardamom is another warm and smoky ingredient. It helps enhance the flavor of each cookie.
You also need a little water to help hold the cookies together after rolling them. Just keep it in a bowl on the side.
And consider adding some extra flavor if you like. Experiment with the following ingredients:
- Nutmeg
- Orange zest
- Small pieces of bacon
- Sea salt
- Brown sugar
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Lemon juice
- Chocolate
You can also make homemade puff pastry if you prefer.
(I wouldn’t, though. Puff pastry is perfect. It tastes great and requires very little work.)
Tips for the Best Palmiers
Palmier cookies are not difficult to prepare. That’s largely why I love them so much.
However, there are a few tips for making the best palmiers possible.
1. Let the puff pastry thaw completely before using it.
However, you also need to keep the pastry cool while working with it. (100% thawed but cool.)
Partially thawed pastry is hard to work with.
Plus, if the pastry is warm, the butter will melt and ruin the baking process.
The best way to meet both of these requirements is to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Then work in small quantities, keeping the pastry cool between each use.
2. Leave enough space between each cookie on the baking sheet. If you don’t, the cookies will bake into each other as they expand.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavor. Are you baking these cookies in the fall? Try adding pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
Do you like a little hazelnut in your sweets? Add chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, or pecans.
Or simply add frosting or chocolate to make them even sweeter!
You can even make a savory version of palmiers with herbs, cheese, garlic, and similar ingredients.
Bacon and spinach are another excellent combo if you’re in the mood for savory cookies.
4. Replace your parchment paper after each batch. Reusing parchment paper is more likely to result in burnt and sticky cookies.
It’s better to change it after each baking cycle.
5. Consider your particular type of puff pastry.
For example, cookies may bake faster if you choose a butter puff pastry.
6. Don’t forget to refrigerate the rolled pastry. Once you roll your pastry, refrigerate it before cutting it into cookies.
The recipe says 5 to 10 minutes. However, I usually leave mine in longer.
The longer they stay in the refrigerator (up to about 30 minutes), the easier they are to cut.
You don’t want to flatten the pastry while cutting the cookies. Refrigeration is the best way to ensure that.
How to Store Palmiers
Let’s assume you make extra palmiers or have leftovers, which is unlikely!
In any case, you need to know how to store them. Fortunately, it’s simple.
