Elephant Ear Cookies (Palmiers) with Zest
Indulge in these sweet, buttery, crispy elephant ear cookies with a hint of citrusy zest. Just 4 ingredients - store-bought puff pastry, sugar and fresh lemon and orange zest - ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings (change as needed): 25 pastries
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- zest of 1 large lemon
- zest of 1 large orange
- pinch salt
- 1 sheet, frozen puff pastry, thawed about 7-8 ounces/200 grams
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 425F/218C.
- PREPARE CITRUS SUGAR: Mix together sugar, lemon zest, orange zest and salt in a small bowl.
- ROLL DOUGH: If the dough is not pre-rolled into single pastry sheets, roll half of it (7-8 ounces) into a 13 x 13 inches (33x33cm) square and about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. The pre-rolled sheets will just need to be stretched or rolled a bit larger.Spread half of the sugar mixture on a cutting board or flat surface lined with parchment paper. Lay the rolled dough flat over the sugar. Sprinkle the other half of the sugar mixture on top of the dough. Use rolling pin to press or embed the sugar into the dough. It's ok to have sugar left on the sides. You will use it to add a final sprinkle to the cut up dough.
- FOLD AND CUT DOUGH: 1. Fold one side of dough to the middle. Fold the opposite side of dough to the middle. 2. Fold the first side again to the middle, doubling it. Then the opposite side. 3. Now fold one double-folded side on top of the other. You now have one roll with 6 layers of dough. 4. Using a sharp knife, slice the roll every 1/3 -1/2 inch (9-13mm), ending up with about 25 slices. Place on two parchment-lined pans, cut side facing up and 2 inches (5cm) apart (they will spread). For heart shapes, fan out the tops of the "ears". 5. Press down slightly on each palmier with the palm of your hand do the pastries stay intact when baked. Add a small sprinkle of leftover citrus sugar on each palmier if you want some extra caramelization.
- BAKE: Bake the cookies for 9 minutes, flip over, then bake another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful not to touch the hot sugar. The timing will depend on how thick you cut the dough slices. Don't let them get too dark or they will be too hard/crunchy. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Puff pastry comes frozen in a block or two pre-rolled single sheets, each 10 x 10 inch square (25 x 25 cm) about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Make sure you are buying puff pastry dough - it is not the same thing as phyllo dough. Try to get a box with two pre-rolled sheets (you will only need one sheet for this recipe). It's fine if you can't - you'll just have to roll out the dough yourself. If possible, buy a kind that says ‘made with butter’ or ‘ butter puff pastry ‘ for a richer taste.
- Recipe variations to try
- omit the citrus zest or use all lemon zest or all orange zest
- add a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the sugar mixture (with or without the zest)
- add some cardamon spice or nutmeg to the sugar mixture.
- Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. Or freeze for 2 months. Crisp up the elephant ear cookies in a medium hot oven for a few minutes if you like.
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg