Friday, December 23, 2011

Book and Cookie Pairing: The Paris Wife, Paula McLain & Palmiers

Palmiers or elephant ears are quite possibly one of the most simply delicious things ever. With modern advances in frozen pastry they are easy to make and are just as lovely even if you don't make the puff pastry yourself. I'm quite capable considering my high breed sugar education but, sometimes even I will take the easy road out.

I remember fondly that my second nanny, Joy, after Sarah the Brit who introduced me to Nutella quit, would take me to a bakery and every time without fail, I would choose a palmier. Back then I remember them being bigger than my head. Small hands can make memories seem so much larger. I think I questioned the chef when I was in school to make sure the "mini" version was the correct size. I was convinced they should be much larger and still believe it to be true.

I'm currently reading The Paris Wife, the story of Hemingway's first bride. Set in St. Louis, Chicago, and Paris this book screams for a sweet to match it's splendor. This two ingredient cookie is perfect! Light, flaky, buttery tasting with just a bit of sweetness, they are complimentary to my afternoon tea and fantastic book.

Palmiers

Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
Sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle some sugar onto a board and unfold the puff pastry. Sprinkle the dough with more sugar and roll out the dough using a rolling pin. Roll both sides in towards the center. Place in freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. Slice into small pieces and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake until puffed and golden. Allow to cool before enjoying.

No comments:

Post a Comment