PALMIERS

I first saw these little morsels of tastiness on TV when Lorraine Pascale made them in her first series, possibly even in her very first programme.  They looked both dead easy to make and very yummy in equal measures, so when we were chez nous in our little French house, expecting visitors, I was thinking about something quick to make for pre-dinner nibbles and decided to give them a go.

I made some tomato ones, using a jar of “delices de tomatoes”, which is a sort of sundried tomato paste.  I also sprinkled on some grated parmesan cheese for good measure.  They were made in a jiffy and went down very well with our guests.

 

Later in the week, with the help of my young baker friends, Isabella and Amélie (more about that later), I also made some Speculoos ones, using a jar of Speculoos spread.  The idea came from one of those little mini French recipe books that you find in petrol stations and supermarkets.  The actual recipe was for pinwheels but I made them into palmiers instead.  They were also a big hit, especially with the two girls !!

 

Definitely worth doing again and the variations of fillings are, I suspect, endless.

Here’s how I made the palmiers.

Ingredients

One pack of ready-rolled, ready-made puff pastry

A jar of sundried tomato paste, or Speculoos spread

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/gas mk 6.  Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Unfold the pastry and, if it’s a French pastry and therefore a circle,  trim into a square or oblong shape. 

Spread the pastry thinly with your choice of flavouring, right up to the edge.

With the shorter end nearest to you, roll each longer side of the pastry towards the middle, making a sort of double sausage shape – it helps to mark the centre of pastry sheet so you know where to stop rolling.  Brush the inside edges where the two rolls meet with a little beaten egg, milk or water so they stick together.

Cut your double sausage into thin slices using a sharp knife.  Place them well apart on the two baking sheets to allow room for spreading.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden.

Allow to cool on the sheets for a few minutes then transfer to a rack.  Allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes approx. 24 palmiers.