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Savory Palmiers are a quick and easy appetizer that look difficult and fancy. Fill them with your favorite filling combination.
What is a Palmier?
A palmier means palm tree in French. They are also known as a pig’s ear, a palm heart or an elephant ear because of their shape. I think it looks more like a butterfly.
It is a French pastry that is made out of puff pastry.
There are sweet palmiers which can be filled with chocolate, sugar, and chopped fruit.
Savory Palmiers
You can also make a savory version. Today I used a sundried tomato pesto I purchased at the store. If you can’t find it you can purchase regular pesto and add in some chopped sun dried tomatoes.
You can also fill it with:
- tapenade
- roasted garlic and rosemary
- bacon, cheese and caramelized onion
- ham and cheese
- mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese
How to Make Savory Palmiers
The first step is to lay out the puff pastry. Let it sit outside of the refrigerator for a few minutes but not too long though that it gets too soft and becomes hard to work with. You just want it softened enough that it won’t crack when you roll it out.
- Once you have it opened up on the counter, that is lightly floured, just gently roll it out a few times. Not too much though because you don’t want the dough to get too thin. Just enough rolls to soften it up a bit.
- Spread a thin layer of your chosen filling (sundried tomato pesto) over the surface of the dough. A nice thin layer.
To form the palmier, you can either roll the dough from each side into the center or fold the dough from each side about halfway to the center.
Continue folding until the sides meet in the center.
And one final fold.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes so the dough firms up a bit.
After it is chilled cut the roll of puff pastry in 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Don’t worry if they look strange. They will expand and open up as they bake.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Flip the palmiers half way through the baking process. They are best served warm.
Can You Freeze Palmiers?
Yes, they freeze great. Cool completely after baking and store in an airtight container. Put a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together. They will last in the freezer for about a month. You can freeze them baked or sliced and unbaked.
You do not need to thaw them before baking if freeze unbaked.
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Other favorite savory appetizers include:
Savory Palmiers
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen puff pastry defrosted
- 1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto or regular pesto enough for two.
Instructions
- Lightly flour a board or counter and unfold one sheet of pastry
- Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin just until dough as softened a bit, not too thin
- Spread a thin layer of pesto on puff pastry (may not use the entire amount)
- Begin folding the dough from both sides until they meet in the middle
- Wrap rolled pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes to allow it to firm and chill Remove and slice puff pastry into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
- Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, flipping the palmiers halfway through the baking process
Nutrition Facts:
Originally posted August 24, 2010
Leigh Anne says
I bought a sundried tomato pesto at the store. It was already blended together.