When I was fifteen I worked at a Barbara Ann's Bakery, where I would eat sugary palmiers by the dozen when my boss wasn't looking. These savory palmiers are stuffed with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and pesto. They are easy to make and are a perfect treat for salty snackers like me.
The recipe comes from Ina Garten's book Back to Basics. I think Ina should have called her book Back to Heaven. If you have a few bucks to spend on a cook book, this is the one for you.
Ina Garten, Back to Basics
Ingredients
1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup prepared pesto (buy the book for Ina's pesto recipe!)
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Kosher salt I think adding salt depends on the saltiness of your pesto. I didn't add salt.
Directions
Lightly
flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the
pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it’s 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches.
Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto.Then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts.
Working
from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold
each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch.
Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a sheet pan
lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry
using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with plastic wrap and
chill for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400
degrees. Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4-inch-thick
slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with
parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown.
Puff pastry where have you been all my life? Seriously. Where. Have. You. Been. You come out of a package, but taste homemade. You are light and buttery. And you are so easy to bake. Puff pastry, I like the way you roll.
I put a little more stuffing than the recipe called for. I couldn't help myself.
You can add anything to puff pastry. Here's the formula: puff pastry+X2=yummy in my tummy. How about jalapenos and cheddar or peanut butter and chocolate?
I'm not sure if I rolled these right, but they came out okay. Pretty close to the photo in the cookbook.
Serve warm. Then take a nap.
Verdict: I would make these again, but I would use less stuffing. I might also try different flavor combinations.
