Palmiers

Palmiers, pronounced “pahl-me-ay” and affectionately known by various names like elephant ears, butterfly cookies, or French hearts, are a quintessential French pastry. They’re typically made from two simple ingredients: sugar (sometimes flavored with spices or citrus zest) and puff pastry, a dough celebrated for its many buttery layers. I first learned to make these treats in culinary school as a clever way to use up leftover puff pastry—one of many lessons in the zero-waste philosophy of professional restaurant kitchens. But with the convenience of good-quality store-bought puff pastry, readily available in the freezer section of most grocery stores, palmiers are incredibly easy to whip up at home just because.

The process is simple: sprinkle a generous amount of sugar over thawed puff pastry, roll, slice, and bake. Watch as they puff up into golden, caramelized spirals in the oven, their flaky layers unfurling into whimsical heart shapes—perfect for holiday cookie platters or as a delicious companion to your morning coffee.

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 (17.3-ounce) package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed