Guillermo couldn't contain the excitement in his voice when he called his friend Walter and proclaimed: "Che! Loco! Oh my God! You're never going to believe what Rebe made!! It's like grandma's house over here!"
Oh, if only everything I cooked received such a reaction.
The thing he was so excited about were palmeritas, those flaky, sweet, ear-shaped cookies that are made out of puff pastry.
When Guillermo was a boy, his father took over the family farm. They lived far out of town, and only moved closer years later so that the boys could attend high school.
Each month, his grandmother (with whom they lived) would take Guillermo and his brother, Marcos, into town with her to get her pension money from the bank, and she would treat them to a palmerita at a local bakery. Like most farm wives, she was a spend-thrift type of woman, and didn't waste her money on useless things. She didn't generally buy the boys anything, but the one thing they could look forward to on that once monthly outing was a palmerita after going to the bank. (I guess everyone, like Proust, has their personal Madeleine.)
I was surprised to find out how easy these cookies are to make-using only pre-made puff pastry and sugar! (So don't go getting all impressed, here!)
I got this recipe from Ina Garten's Cookbook, Barefoot In Paris.
Recipe for Palmeritas
2 sheets Pepperidge farm Puff Pastry (left to defrost overnight in the refrigerator so it's pliable but cold)
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Combine the sugar and the kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar on a flat surface such as a wooden board or a marble slab. Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, this is about an even covering of sugar.
With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13 inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on the top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle of the dough. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have six layers.
Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.
Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
palmeritas are a favorite of mine as well. I made them with homemade puff pastry once I had made some for a cake, and they were better than with the store-bought kind, but I´ve made them tons of times with store-bought dough, and it is still wonderful, especially when they are still a little warm. And it´s perfect for spur-of-the-moment get togethers.
One thing I recommend you try for next time, is adding a bit of lemon zest to the sugar, that´s my favorite part about homemade palmeritas :)
Posted by: Marce | June 09, 2008 at 05:49 PM
I cannot wait to make these! (And isn't it funny how you never know which recipes will resonate with people so strongly as these did with Guillermo!)
Posted by: Sarah | March 06, 2008 at 08:57 AM
Terrific photo. I like the blog, too, and will be checking back!
Posted by: cookworm | March 06, 2008 at 07:56 AM
Amanda-This recipe will make you feel like a domestic goddess-and it's painless!
Emiglia-Thank you for the lovely compliment, so glad you are enjoying the photos.I have a love affair with Argentina, too...
Noelia-this is definitely the short cut way to do it, but they turn out so incredible and with so little effort!
Lydia-Thank you! Wouldn't it be great to serve these at a Van Gogh party? :)
Cork & Feast-So glad the photos evoked such emotion for you! It puts a smile on my face to know that you enjoyed them so much. I love using items that have sentimental value for me, it gives more meaning to the everyday, don't you think?
Astra-Thanks! Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Paz-I agree, I love hearing G's family stories. Hope you try the recipe!
Posted by: Rebecca | February 23, 2008 at 08:56 PM
What a nice memory for Guillermo to have about his Grandmother. And I am impressed with your palmeritas. ;-)
Paz
Posted by: Paz | February 22, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Such a clever recipe! I'm very excited to try fixing these!
I second the complements on your stunning photos...
Posted by: Astra Libris | February 21, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Love these photos. They are beautiful, minimal and perfect for this post! I have no idea why they strike me so, somehow they convey such emotion. Wish I could take food photos that did that (will be something I'll be thinking about from now on.) Perhaps it's the silver tray underneath. I have a similar one around here that was my grandmother's and I love it so.
Posted by: Cork & Feast | February 21, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Lovely photo. They really do look like ears!
Posted by: Lydia | February 21, 2008 at 11:31 AM
What a great idea! So glad he loved them! They are called orejas here. Can't say I have thought about how they are made and this recipe looks simple compared to how they probably do it there. Ha!
Posted by: Gretchen Noelle | February 21, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Great blog... I love your photos and stories. I've started a love affair with Argentina from afar, and I absolutely love your pictures! Keep it up!
Posted by: emiglia | February 21, 2008 at 10:18 AM
I tried making these once on my own from scratch and talk about labor-intensive! I wouldn't recommend it. My poor neck was strained and my back hurt. I felt like I had run for miles or something. Next time, it's this recipe all the way!
Posted by: amanda | February 21, 2008 at 09:53 AM