Homemade Palmiers

Today I was having some trouble figuring out what I want to bake. I was thinking about snickerdoodle cupcakes, but I scratched idea that because I've been making way too many cakes/cupcakes lately. Some would say that's physically impossible and I would normally agree with them, but after the wedding cake I need to take some time from that sweet treat. I was pretty much out of ideas, then my mom started talking about cookie baking weekend. (That's the when my grandma, aunt, mom and I get together and making a TON of Christmas cookies for our friends. She mentioned that she wanted to make the puff pastry cookies that I had made in my pastry class during the weekend. I couldn't get those cookies out of my mind, so that's what I decided to make.

This summer, while taking my first pastry class I actually learned a lot more than I thought I would. I learned the most during our cookie class. We made palmiers from blitz puff pastry, which is a slightly faster version than traditional puff pastry. My first batch spent a little too much time in the oven, so they were a overly browned. My second batch (which I made for my final exam) turned out really well. But the ones I made today, were the best, by far. They are light, crispy, not to sweet, otherwise AMAZING.


The recipe we made in class was based on weights, and since I still haven't bought a scale, I searched online for a recipe that used volume measurments. Baking Bites had a puff pastry recipe but I adapted the directions a lot to match up with the way we made it in class.

Blitz Puff Pastry

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

10 oz cold butter

1 1/4 tsp salt

3/4 to 1 cup cold water

1. In a bowl combine the flour and the salt. Cut 6 tbsp of the butter into the flour until it is entirely incorporated. Take the rest of the butter, cut it into chunks and toss in the flour. Add the cold water and mix with a spatula until mostly combined (it will still seem a little dry, but that's okay). Mold the dough into a bowl and place on a floured surface. 

2. These next couple steps will need a lot of flour, so have some ready. Start rolling out the dough, turn it every so often to make sure it isn't sticking to your work surface. Once you've gotten a big rectangle (about 14" x 12") fold the dough in thirds like you were folding a business letter. If the dough is still pretty cold you can turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again to the same size and make the business letter fold again. Then refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Take it out of the fridge, roll it out, and fold 2 more times.

3. Once you made 4 folds you are ready to roll it out for the final time. Instead of rolling out with flour, you will roll out with sugar. Roll the dough out on a sugared surface until you get a 16 x 12 rectangle. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on top of the dough. Roll up one side of the dough until you reach the center and then roll up the other side. Refrigerate the dough once more.*

4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the fridge and cut it into 1/2 cookies. Place palmiers on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

*Note: If the dough is not properly chilled then the butter will melt out of the pastry and puddle on the cookie sheet. It will not puff!!