A Mother's Day treat ~ Palmiers

Growing up in Europe, there was nothing better for this little sweet tooth than going to a pastry shop and buying my favorite pastry, Palmier!! So, I was thrilled when I saw this recipe in a cookbook from one of my favorite celebrity chefs, the Barefoot Contessa...! I love how easy they are and a batch at my house rarely lasts more than a few hours!!

All you need is a package of previously thawed puff pastry and sugar (lots of it, you will need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups!)... Pre-heat the oven at 450 degrees F (230 centigrade). Cover your surface with a generous amount of sugar. Place one of the sheets on top of the sugar, and use more sugar to coat the pastry sheet evenly (we are not talking sprinkling, here...). At this point I use my rolling pin to make sure the sugar sticks well to the dough on both sides.

Fold each of the sides a quarter way in...

... then in again so the folds meet in the middle. Lastly, fold one set of layers on top of the other, as if you were closing a book!

Cut slices approx. 3/8" thick and place them on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, leaving a good 2 to 3 inches between cookies.

Cook until edges are golden brown (they cook in about 5-7 minutes, so keep a close eye!). The original recipe calls for flipping the cookies halfway through, I found there is really no need for it!! A lot easier, yeah!!!

Repeat for the second pastry sheet. I usually have two cookie sheets going so I can work on one while the other cooks. I hope you will give it a try, I will tell you they are truly delicious and you will be thanked for it!!! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!!!