Palmiers

For my recent birthday I was given a new cookbook: Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere.  And I have to say that it is one, big, beautiful collection of contemporary desserts that appear relatively easy to make, appear to taste luscious, and appear to be the result of some bakery's magic!

Immersed in the cookbook for days, I was fixated on the photography.  Each finished dessert was stunning. Page by page by page, I concluded that if this book did nothing more than sit on a coffee table in my house, it would be a tremendous addition to my decor...the cookbook is that alluring.

Even the novice baker will feel supported by the recipe directions and descriptions.  Greenspan guides and encourages with her writing while offering historical significance to the many recipes representing French baking.  "Real French people don't bake!" she shares.  "At least they don't bake anything complicated, finicky, tricky, or unreliable."

Anxious to mimic Greenspan's desserts, I made two of the recipes in as many days:  Palmiers and Viennese Sablés.  I then repeated the Palmiers recipe a few days later.  Need I say more?  Palmiers are those puff pastry miniatures of Elephant Ears that we have all tried once or twice, but never thought we could reproduce, right? Their heart-like appearance is so appealing, but it's their taste... oh my!  Buttery decadence with a modestly sweet background.  By themselves or paired with hot tea/coffee, they conclude a meal in the best way possible.

Notes

1.  This is a very simple recipe to make, mostly because all of the hard work has been done!  You will need to purchase puff pastry sheets.  I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets found in the frozen food section of your grocery.  There are two individually wrapped pastry sheets in a package (one reason that I made two batches within days).  Use one and freeze the other.

2.  The only other ingredients are granulated sugar and melted (and cooled) butter.  I used about 1/4 cup sugar all together.  I used only 1 tablespoon of butter (even thought her recipe calls for 3 tablespoons).  But, you can waiver a bit from these absolutes and the results will still be awesome.  After making this once, you will never need to refer to the recipe again.  Go ahead.  Make it!  Then you'll know.

3.  When the pastry sheet is rolled out completely, you will need to brush the top with butter.  I used a brush on batch #1, but it picked up a lot of sugar (grains and then clumps) and was not as effective as I thought it would be.  So I used my clean fingers on batch #2:  I dipped my fingers into the softened butter and then spread this onto the pastry.  I could wipe off any adhering sugar along the way.  Much better...

4.  I baked some palmiers on parchment paper and some on a silicone mat.  I preferred the results from the parchment paper.

5.  These cookies need to be flipped over midway through baking.  My tip is to remember that you are flipping cookies that have sugar in a molten state.  Be careful.  I used a metal offset spatula with assistance from a fork.  It took a burned fingertip from batch #1 to teach me this lesson.

Palmiers

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (follow package directions)
Sugar, enough for rolling pastry to keep it from sticking (approximately 1/4 cup or more)
Butter, approx. 1 tablespoon, melted

Directions

1.  Remove wrapping and/or other parchment inserts from one puff pastry sheet.  Keep folded in thirds for thawing.  Lay on surface and thaw according to package directions.

2.  Dust countertop generously with sugar.  Place pastry on this sugar bed.  Dust the top of the pastry with sugar and begin to roll.

4.  As you roll, turn the pastry over and add more sugar to the countertop and top of pastry to keep the pastry from sticking.  Roll to a square with sides of 13 inches.

4.  Brush the surface of the pastry with butter (see note above for modification).

5.  Sprinkle more sugar onto the buttered surface.

6.  Now for the fun part:  Fold the left and right sides of the pastry to meet at the center.

7.  Brush the pastry with butter (or finger-brush) and sprinkle with sugar.

8.  Fold the left and right sides of the pastry to meet at the center (again).  You will have 4 layers on each side.

9.  Then fold one side over the other, as if you were closing a book.

10.  Slide the pastry onto a cutting board and place into the refrigerator to chill.

11.  Preheat the oven to 425º F. while the dough chills.

12.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  I had more palmiers than would fit on one sheet.  So while one sheet was baking, I kept the rest of the pastry dough chilling.  When one sheet came out and was cooling, I prepared a second sheet with the remaining pastry.

13.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough crosswise into 1/2 inch strips.  Place each, cut side up, onto the parchment paper, leaving 2 inches between each.

14.  Bake the palmiers for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and flip them over with a metal spatula and fork.

15.  Return to oven to finish baking, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Watch carefully as they caramelize quickly!

16.  Remove from oven and cool completely on rack.  Once cool, palmiers peel off easily for eating and storing...ahem...there will be none for storing...

Olive Oil Tea Cake

My social network exists at the local YMCA where I spend a lot of time taking and teaching classes.  I am especially impressed by the the number of fit and healthy women there who are very mature (if you get my drift).  One friend in particular, let's call her Ruth, leads an active lifestyle outside of Y business.  She regularly takes mass transportation to and from New York City with (or without) company.  On occasions in the past, we have been in the locker room at the same time, and Ruth has shared that she's heading off to catch the bus to the city to see a play or go shopping.  Admirable, right?

Well, Ruth recently moved from her home of many years to a condo in order to downsize.  In fact, she spent one night with my husband and I between settlement day and move-in day.  A few weeks later when her new place was arranged and ready for company, she asked a couple of us over for afternoon tea and a look-see at her new place.

I jumped at the chance to bake something as a welcome-to-your-new-home offering and to alleviate any undo pressure on her to bake.  Ruth, you see, doesn't bake...or even cook that much.  She was very receptive, but cautioned that she did not eat animal fat (keeping the cholesterol in check), and so butter was not invited to the party.  Yikes!  Though not sugar averse (thankfully), Ruth's dietary restriction gave me pause (a multi-day pause).

I decided on an Olive Oil Cake for the get-together and was pleased that Ruth enjoyed it so much.  The cake is delicate with a tender, moist crumb and essence of orange.  Perfect for afternoon tea.

Notes

1.  Are you surprised by how much my Chick Pea Loaf (January posting) resembles this tea cake?  Me too!  Is there a message somewhere in there for me??

2.  I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

3.  The mentor recipe baked one loaf at 325º F.  Instead, I used two mini loaf pans and placed half the batter (about 13 ounces) in each pan.  I upped the temperature to 350º F.

4.  The two loaves baked for 35 minutes uncovered and then an additional 15 minutes covered with foil.  That's when an inserted toothpick came out clean.

5.  Assuming that you might question the addition of whole milk in this recipe, let it be known that Ruth's words were, "I don't eat butter."  Could I have used non-fat milk?  Yep.  Did I?  Nope.  Shhhh...

Olive Oil Tea Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F.   Oil and flour two mini loaf pans.
2.  Whisk first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
3.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, olive oil, and orange zest to blend.
4.  Gradually whisk egg mixture into dry mixture.
5.  Transfer batter into prepared pans (See Notes above for further detail).
6.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7.  Cool in pans for about 20 minutes.  Invert pan to remove cakes.