Classie palmiers, also called elephant ears, are made by folding two opposite sides of the rolled-out dough over onto itself to meet in the center before slicing, resulting in a heart shape when baked. We skip that folding step to make neat rectangular palmiers, both large and, for petits fours, small. Traditionally the puff pastry is sliced and the pieces are rolled in sugar before baking, but we think the pastries are more elegant if you incorporate the sugar into the dough itself, which we do by making the sugar part of the turns. Here the dough gets five turns; for the final two turns, we dust the work surface and the dough with sugar so that the sugar gets incorporated inside as we complete the turns.
Sugar attracts moisture, both from the dough and from ambient humidity. So don’t dawdle, and don’t let the dough rest in the refrigerator for longer than 1 day, or the sugar will melt, making the dough soft and sticky. Because of the sugar, these bake to a lovely golden brown. Once cooled, the pastry strips are sandwiched with the jam and dusted with powdered sugar. A savory version, substituting a grated hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano for the sugar, is also delicious.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
- Puff Pastry, prepared through the third turn and chilled for 2 hours
- ¾ cup + 3 tbsp (375 g) Raspberry Jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting
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For Turn 4
- Sprinkle the work surface with a generous, even layer of sugar. There should be enough to keep the dough from sticking as you flip, fluff, and turn it. Roll out the dough and trim and patch as necessary. Sprinkle the surface of the rectangle with 24 grams/ 2 tablespoons sugar, finish the turn, and refrigerate for 2 hours. For Turn 5
- Sprinkle the work surface with sugar again and roll out the dough. Sprinkle with sugar as before, and finish the turn. The dough is best used at this point, but it can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. (After that, the sugar will begin melting.) To Shape the Palmiers
- Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (standard). Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the work surface with granulated sugar. Place the block of dough on the sugar and trim all sides so they are perfectly straight; this will expose the layers. Cut four 3/s-inch-thick slices from the dough; wrap and refrigerate the remaining dough. For Larger Snadwiches
- Lay 2 slices flat on each sheet pan, with the layers running parallel to the long sides of the sheet, positioning them 2 to 3 inches from the sides of the pan and leaving 2 to 3 inches between them. For Smaller Sandwiches
- Cut each slice in half crosswise. Lay 4 slices flat on each sheet pan, with the layers running parallel to the short ends of the sheet, positioning them 2 to 3 inches from the sides of the pan and leaving about 6 inches between them. To Bake the Palmiers
- Bake for 10 minutes. If the pieces are touching, carefully separate them with a spatula. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back, and bake for about 8 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Flip the pieces over and bake until the tops are golden brown. Using an offset spatula, transfer the pieces to a flat surface to cool completely.
- Slice and bake the remaining dough. Cool completely. To Assemble the Palmiers
- Sandwich the pastries with jam, using 24 to 48 grams/1 to 2 tablespoons for large palmiers, 12 to 24 grams/ ½ to 1 tablespoon for small palmiers.
- Just before serving, dust the tops of the palmiers with powdered sugar. (For a decorative element, lay a palette knife or an offset spatula diagonally across the top of each palmier before dusting.)
- The palmiers are best the day they are made; they will begin to soften after a few hours.
