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 information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
48 palmiers
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. sugar on a work surface and cover it with 1 sheet puff pastry (from 1 17.3-oz. package frozen puff pastry). Sprinkle another 2 Tbsp. sugar evenly over top of puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll pastry into a 10-inch square.
Step 2
Fold pastry from two opposite sides so that they the edges meet in the center. Repeat so that the folded edges meet in the center, on top of the first fold. Fold half the pastry over the other half. Cut pastry crosswise into ¼”-thick slices. Dip cut sides of each piece in more sugar (reusing any sugar left behind on work surface) and arrange, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet.
Step 3
Bake palmiers in batches until golden on bottom, about 12 minutes. Turn over and bake until golden on second side, 5 to 7 minutes more; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Editor’s note: This recipe for palmiers was first printed in the August 2004 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best holiday cookie recipes →
Recipe notes
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