Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Palmiers Recipe

                                                         
These crispy pastries are known as  Elephant Ears, the French call these pastries Palmiers, or palm trees. When I was a little girl, I remember going to the bakery and buying these delicate pastries on my way home from school; I have always loved them. So I want to share with you how I make these Palmiers. You could buy  the frozen puff pastry dough, but I like to make my own pastry dough. You will love these crispy treats.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup water
 1/2 cup margarine
Sugar (to be sprinkled on top to your liking)

Combine flour,salt, and 1/3 cup of margarine into a bowl until it forms a dry lumpy flour. Add water and beat until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn out on lightly floured board, roll into a square about 1/4 inch thick. Spread 1/2 cup margerine over one half of the square. Fold the other (unbuttered) half of dough over the buttered half to encase it. Pinch edges together to seal. With a rolling pin, lightly pound dough to about 12 by 16 inches. Fold 1/3 of dough over center, then fold remaining 1/3 over center. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes, or in freezer for 10 minutes (don't freeze it). Pound dough lightly again into a rectangle, then roll into a 16-inch square and fold side thirds over center again; chill. Repeat pounding, rolling, folding, and chilling three times more. After final chilling, roll  into a rectangle, sprinkle with sugar. Working from the short sides, roll up dough jelly-roll style until the two rolls (one from each side of the rectangle) meet in the center. With a sharp knife, cut roll into 1/2-inch slices. Place on  baking sheet. Bake at (450) for 12 minutes or until crisp and gold brown. Remove from pans quickly to wire racks.

Moving Mountains~If you only laugh, things don't come so hard. If you laugh at it, the trouble will not seem so real. I know, for I laugh away a mountain. Jesus told of the faith that removes mountains. May not cheerfulness in the face of difficulty and privation be an evidence of that wonder working faith?~ John T. Faris.

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~Have a wonderful day, wishing you a joyful heart full of happy thought and good cheer .~