Crispy and light and buttery and earthy and sweet and the most simple cookie to bake.
Bowl #1
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Tiniest pinch of salt
On the sidelines:
One sheet of store-bought puff pastry
1
Stir together the ingredients in bowl #1.
2
On a clean countertop, sprinkle about 1/3 of the sugar mixture and place the sheet of puff pastry directly on top.
3
Evenly sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top of the puff pastry.
4
With a rolling pin, lightly roll the puff pastry sheet to about 13/13 inches. Rolling the dough this way helps the dough really become one with the sugar.
5
With the longer edge facing you, fold both long edges inward to meet in the middle. Repeat with both long edges meeting in the middle and the fold together like a book and you end up with a log. Lightly press down on the log.
6
For the prettiest palmiers, freeze the log solid and then cut. If you're short on time, you can cut the log into slices now; about one inch.
7
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8
For extra texture and light sweetness, dip the cut side of the palmiers in sugar before placing on the parchment. Be sure to leave ample space for these cookies to bloom while baking.
9
Bake for about 10 minutes and then flip the cookies. Bake for a handful of minutes more until golden brown and caramelized.
10
Let cool completely on pan.