Palmiers are one of those pastries that look like you spent far more time on them than you did. Four ingredients, one sheet of store-bought puff pastry. Twenty minutes in a hot oven gets you a tray of crisp, caramelized cookies that shatter at the first bite. This citrus version replaces the standard plain sugar coating with a mix of confectioners sugar and fresh orange zest, which perfumes the caramel that forms around each cookie as it bakes at 450 degrees. The technique requires a bit of attention: the folding needs to be precise to get those neat six-layer stacks.
You need to flip each palmier partway through baking to caramelize both sides evenly. Pull them out the moment the sugar turns golden at the edges, as they go from caramelized to burnt quickly at that temperature. Transfer to a wire rack fast so the caramel does not stick to the pan as it cools. These are best eaten the same day, which is rarely a problem. We keep making this on repeat for exactly that reason. Serve with coffee, tea, or alongside a citrus sorbet for a simple dessert.
Prepare the Citrus Sugar and Roll the Pastry
Mix the half cup of sugar with the quarter cup of orange zest and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Lightly flour a board and roll out the defrosted puff pastry sheet. Cut it in half using a pizza cutter. Sprinkle a quarter cup of the citrus sugar evenly across the first half of the pastry. 
Layer and Fold the Palmiers
Place the second half of the pastry on top and sprinkle the remaining citrus sugar over it. Fold two sides of the stacked sheet halfway towards the centre, then fold again so both folds meet exactly in the middle. Fold one half over the other as though closing a book, creating a stack of dough with 6 layers. Slice thinly with a sharp knife and place cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake and Flip
Bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize. Remove quickly and flip each palmier with a spatula, then return to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes until the second side is golden. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack as the caramelized sugar hardens as it cools.
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Citrus Palmiers
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 12 palmiers 1x
Description
Delight in these crispy Citrus Palmiers, a sweet and zesty treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup orange zest
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F and line the cookie tray with parchment paper.
- Defrost the puff pastry.
- Prepare Citrus mix by mixing confectioners sugar, orange zest, and salt in a bowl.
- Sprinkle some flour on the board and roll out one puff pastry sheet.
- Cut it in half using a pizza cutter, rolling it through the middle.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the sugar/citrus mix on the puff pastry sheet.
- Put another layer of pastry and again pour sugar/citrus mix and spread it out.
- Fold two sides of the sheets halfway towards the middle, then fold them again so the two folds meet exactly in the middle of the sheets.
- Fold one half over the other half, as though you were closing a book, forming a stack of dough with 6 layers.
- Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the sheets and place them cut side up on the prepared baking sheet about 1-inch apart.
- Bake the palmiers in the preheated oven until the sugar gets caramelized for approximately 6-7 minutes.
- Swiftly remove the palmiers from the oven and flip them over gently with a spatula, and return them to the oven to bake for another 3-5 minutes.
- Quickly transfer the palmiers to a cooling rack and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use lemon zest instead of orange zest?
Lemon zest gives a sharper, more tart flavour. You could also use a combination of lemon and orange zest for a more complex citrus profile. Keep the total quantity of zest the same.
Why do I need to flip the palmiers?
Flipping halfway through ensures both sides caramelize evenly. The side that bakes face-down first gets the most direct heat and caramelizes more quickly; flipping exposes the top to the same high heat.
Can I freeze palmiers before baking?
Yes. Slice the log and freeze the raw palmier rounds on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag once frozen. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time.
these crisped at the edges in eighteen minutes, kids ate them faster than i could plate them.
I love how four ingredients turn into something this crisp, big hit with my morning coffee.
I made these for breakfast and they were every bit as crispy as the recipe claimed, kids ate four each.
Twenty minutes in my oven at 460, pulled them right when the edges turned amber, and they shattered exactly the way they should. Orange zest in the sugar perfumes the whole kitchen. Tight folds to get the six-layer stack, that was the technique I had to slow down for.