Parmesan Palmiers

Parmesan Palmiers can be made ahead and then sliced and baked right before seriving. They are a nice accompaniment to a glass of wine or champagne or served alongside a soup or salad.  Have a plate of palmiers to munch on before dinner or with an antipasto platter.

I thought these were pretty good. Brian said they just tasted as pastry and was not fond of them. I think we fed a lot of them to the birds.

1 (17 ounce) package frozen puff pastry
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, divided
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thaw and unfold both sheets of puff pastry.  Sheets should be approximately 10 x 10-inches.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, mustard, cayenne, and black pepper. Spread 1/2 cup over the cheese mixture over each puff pastry sheet. With the palms of your hands, press the cheese onto the dough.

Starting from one side, lightly fold up the dough, stopping at the midpoint of the sheet. Fold up from the other side.

Repeat with the other pastry sheet. Wrap each roll and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. [The filling tends to fall out, thus pressing the cheese down and refrigerating. Other fillings I have seen are wetter and would stay in better. I just took what fell out and put it back in after transferring them to the pan.]

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with one pastry roll at a time: Cut off and discard a thin slice from each end to form an even edge. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Arrange the palmiers 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until cheese melts and pastry is crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. [These take longer to bake than you would think. The dough in the center will still be raw even though the palmiers are nicely browned.] Transfer the palmiers to a wire rack to cool.

Parmesan Palmiers are best served the same day but can be stored for a day or two.

Makes about 24