Palmier Recipe

If I would imagine a carnival in France--I would imagine palmiers, elephant ears or bear claws would be as popular there as funnel cakes are here in America.  This is a simple recipe I used from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook.   All you need is:

2 cups of sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sheets Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted

I add some cinnamon to the sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Pour one cup of mixture on a flat surface.  Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry.  With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13" square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.  Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle.  Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough.  Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book.  You will have 6 layers.  Slice the dough in 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board and repeat above steps with second sheet.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side.  Transfer to a baking rack to cool.