Easy, but a miss
I wanted to like these Palmier cookies. Like, really wanted to like these cookies. They were straightforward to make. Quick, very few ingredients, simple to make Easy Palmier cookies.
I didn’t realize this type of cookie was called a Palmier. I’ve always referred to them as elephant ears. The ones from the bakery are large and flaky with a wonderful buttery taste. Bakery Palmiers are wonderful to enjoy with a cup of tea.
When I saw this recipe by Ina Garten, I was in shock. Simple ingredient and quick to make. She uses store-purchased puff pastry! I have not attempted making my own puff pastry and if Ina Garten will use store-purchased puff pastry then I’m all in.
I don’t know if it’s just my YouTube, but I could not get the video to play on the Food Network….but…I found a Spanish version when I searched YouTube directly. I watched the video and noticed that in the video she uses cinnamon in the sugar but the written recipe does not use cinnamon. I added cinnamon.
The Process to Palmiers
We start with spreading sugar on a larger cutting board.
Unroll your defrosted puff pastry right onto the sprinkled sugar.
If you are going to use cinnamon, the Spanish YouTube video calls for 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the puff pastry.
Gently roll out the puff pastry to 13 inches x 13 inches. This will press sugars into the front and back of the puff pastry.
If you watch the video, it will explain the folding process. Basically, you are trying to make layers of puff pastry by small folds into the middle. There will be sugar left on the board.
If you have done the folds correctly, you should have 6 layers. Ina Garten suggests cutting the folded sheet with a gentle sawing motion to avoid squishing the layers together.
I tried my best to cut these into the 3/8 inch slices she suggested. However, I would suggest making them larger, say 1 inch, since a couple of ones that I cut that were larger actually turned out better. Not the best, but better.
The Results
Keep an eye on these when they are baking. They went from light to really dark in an instant!
Despite how simple and easy these were to make, they were a letdown. These Palmier cookies tasted nothing like the bakery ones. They were not light and flakey. The sugar didn’t crystalize like the bakery ones. It was more like a solid caramel-like coating. The cookies were hard and sticky. There was no buttery taste.
I would not make these again. It was such a disappointment. My son couldn’t eat them with his braces and my husband gave a giant thumbs down.
This happens with baking from time to time. You make something that just isn’t right. It might be the store puff pastry so I feel that I need to make my own puff pastry and then try again.
If you have made these Palmiers or any Palmiers, please let me know! I would love to know if it was just my puff pastry that made these disappointing.
Like chocolate and want an impressive cookie? Try these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.