These French Palmier Cookies are so quick and easy to make. They have a delicate, flaky texture and a sweet buttery taste.
These French pastry cookies look like they came from a fancy bakery or patisserie, but they are easy to make at home with just 3 ingredients!
You can make these delicious French cookies using store-bought pastry, sugar, and a pinch of salt. They have such a sweet crunch and are perfect for serving with a cup of tea as a sweet treat at breakfast or with a coffee at the end of a meal.
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What Are Palmiers?
A Palmier is a classic french pastry cookie with a unique swirled shape. The layers of delicious buttery pastry and crisp caramelized sugar mean they are flaky, buttery, and delicious.
They get their name as they resemble palm leaves (Palmier is french for palm tree)
Making Palmiers
Palmiers are so easy to make. They are made with puff pastry and sugar, although I was taught by a French neighbor to add a pinch of salt as well. The salt enhances the flavor, making them taste richer and more like a bakery cookie/pastry.
Sprinkle a sheet of puff pastry generously on both sides with sugar and a pinch of salt. Starting at one short end of the dough, roll the pastry up tightly until it reaches the middle. Repeat with the other end. Light press the two rolls together, cover with glad wrap, and then freeze for 30 minutes or place in the refrigerator for an hour. Cut the log into ½-inch thick slices, arrange on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Defrost your puff pastry for around 30 minutes; you want it soft enough to work with but still cold, so the fat doesn't melt.
- To ensure everything stays cold if you are making more cookies and using more than one sheet of puff pastry, work in batches and keep each sheet in the refrigerator until you need it.
- Once the pastry is rolled, chill the dough for 30 minutes in the freezer or at least 60 minutes in the refrigerator before cutting.
- If you are making more than one batch of cookies, use a fresh sheet of parchment paper for each batch. This stops any bits of sugar from your first batch from burning and ruining your second batch of cookies.
- Spread the palmiers with space between them as they spread out as they bake.
How to store palmiers
Store the baked palmiers in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Don't place them in the refrigerator, as they can go sticky.
Freezing palmiers
The baked cookie doesn't freeze well, but you can freeze the unbaked cookies, either as cut slices or freeze the whole roll. There is no need to defrost before baking. Just cut into pieces (if needed) and bake for 1-2 minutes longer than the recipe states.
This is a great way to have fancy french pastry cookies on hand at any time! Just keep a batch in the freezer, and you can be eating fresh french cookies within 20 minutes!
Serving palmiers
These dainty flaky cookies are perfect with afternoon tea or served in the morning with a coffee.
They also make a great crunchy element on a dessert. Try serving them with some baked apples or with a chocolate mousse.
If you make these French Palmier Cookies, don't forget to come back and comment. You can also tag me on social media.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.
Enjoy x
French Palmier Cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
- Line an 18x13 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the sugar and salt in a small bowl.
½ cup/115g granulated sugar
pinch salt - Sprinkle half of the sugar and salt mixture onto your counter, roughly the same size as your pastry sheet.
- Put the puff pastry on top of the sugar and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top.
1 sheet puff pastry (defrosted) - Use a rolling pin to gently roll the pastry, pressing the sugar mixture into the dough.
- Tightly roll one edge of the pastry to the center. Then tightly roll the other edge up until they meet in the center.
- Once the two sides have been rolled up, lightly press them together.
- Wrap the roll in glad wrap and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Use a sharp paring knife to cut the pastry into ½ inch wide slices and place them on the lined baking sheet with at least 2"/5cm between them.
- Bake the palmiers for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Then, use a metal spatula or palette knife to flip the cookies carefully and bake for another 4-6 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Defrost your puff pastry for around 30 minutes; you want it soft enough to work with but still cold, so the fat doesn't melt.
Faaiza says
So, so delicious. I didn't realise how easy it would be to make these at home! New favourite!