Step-by-step: French Palmiers

There’s no good reason why you shouldn’t be making these. Besides being absurdly easy, they are so very scrumptious. If you’ve never tasted them, think funnel cake meets caramelized sugary goodness. This is a cookie that anyone can make, with all the beauty and deliciousness you would expect from a French pastry.

You’ll need 2 ingredients. Ready made puff pastry and a cup (or more) of sugar.

First thing you’ll need to do is let your puff pastry thaw for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 450 degrees and prepare your work surface with approximately 1/2 cup of sugar. It sounds like a lot, (well it is, actually) but this amount is needed for maximum caramelizing in the oven. You’ll need yet another 1/2 cup of sugar to cover the top of the pastry, so have that ready too.

Unfold the pastry on top of the sugared surface. You should be able to unfold the dough without it breaking at the seams.

Cover the dough with the additional 1/2 cup of sugar.

(I was home alone today, but at this point I was looking around to see if anyone was watching me use this much sugar. I have never watched me use this much sugar. It works out in the end though, trust me!)

Roll out the dough to an approximate 13″x13″ square. The idea is to press as much sugar as possible into the dough on both sides of the pastry.

Now for the folding. So easy! Fold the sides in one inch at a time, then fold both sides together as if you are closing a book.

You’ll cut them at 1″ increments and arrange them on parchment paper, cut side up.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, or until the sugar on the bottom of the cookies start to caramelize. Turn them over and bake for another 6-8 minutes. You’ll want to watch these, to make sure they don’t over-brown.

Will you love these as much as I do?

I think so.

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Piper Paradise
Piper Paradise
14 years ago

I found your site via odd girl out. The palmiers are just like ones I had from Don Shula's hotel in Miami. I gained 5 pounds eating these while working on the South Terminal expansion a few years back. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Your blog is amazing!!!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

I love palmiers and I have always wondered how to make them myself. Thank you very much for this splendid recipe. I just tried it and they are amazing – even though I don't quite understand the oven I used (I just moved into this apartment) so at first I couldn't get it to warm up and then I couldn't turn it off, so my palmiers almost got burned, but they still taste good. Thanks again!

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

So easy! The hardest part is waiting for the puff pastry dough to thaw as I was so excited to make these. The pastries are sweet and flaky with a slight crunch from the caramelized sugar. Perfect!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Wow, those look delectable! I can't wait to try them myself. 🙂

Hannah
Hannah
12 years ago

These are fantastic. Thank you for the inspiration. Next time I'm making mine about half the thickness and adding cinnamon. yum, yum, yum.

Jessica
Jessica
11 years ago

Hi Heather, Do you think this would work with a mix of regular sugar and colored sanding sugar (sugar sprinkles) for halloween? Any reason these couldn't be made as a pinwheel rather then the traditional shape?

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
11 years ago

Hi Jessica! I think sanding sugar would work great, and I love your idea for pinwheels! I see no reason why it wouldn't work. (This means go,go,go for it!)

🙂