These easy Palmiers make the perfect holiday appetizer by combining sweet and savory flavors.
Use product immediately upon removal from refrigerator as there is no need to thaw! No need to use flour and a rolling pin to stretch the dough.
Dough will roll out and cut easier if it is chilled. If you're trying to create a specific shape, keep the pastry as cold as possible (but not frozen) and it will be easier to make precise cuts.
If you want to keep the inside from rising as much as the edges, just use a paring knife to score a border. Don’t cut the dough all the way though! Use a fork to prick the dough. The pastry will still be light and flaky with the edges puffed up and the center will stay down.
Pop the dough in the fridge after working with it, while the oven preheats. This step gives the fat in the dough a chance to re-solidify, to get an even better baking result.
Egg-wash: Just before baking, brush your puff pastry with egg wash (1 large egg with about 2 tablespoons water, beaten) to give it an attractive shine and color.
To seal the pastry edges for any stuffed pocket-style pastry, just brush a thin layer of water or egg whites along the edges and press them together to make them stick.
Crimp edges of smaller pastries like hand pies with a fork. Larger pastries can be crimped with your fingertips.
Serve soon after baking! Puff Pastry is best when fresh, so ideally bake close to serving. Only few recipes are great to make ahead. Puff Pastry is best when baked and served the same day.
To unroll the dough, remove dough from package and gently separate the dough and parchment paper from the roll, so that the dough on paper begins to lay flat. Be careful not to separate the dough from the parchment paper. There may be some sticking, but the dough and paper should easily pull away from the roll.
Once the dough is lying flat on the baking tray, cut off or tuck any excess paper under, so it does not hang over the edge.
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In the food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the cranberries until fine pieces. Add 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and sage. Pulse to combine. Add pecans and pulse just until small pieces.
3. Unroll refrigerated Puff Pastry Dough on enclosed parchment paper and cut in half crosswise, returning half of pastry to refrigerator. Remove parchment from the pastry and place on counter, and sprinkle with 2/3 cup Parmesan and then top with pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll lightly to press cheese into pastry. Spread with sausage. Top with cranberry mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap and roll lightly to press mixture into pastry.
4. To shape: From the long edges of the pastry, fold each edge of the pastry to the middle, pressing lightly. Spread mustard lightly down the center leaving an inch on each side. Fold one half to the other half like closing a book. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 min. or up to several hours.
5. Remove (unused half of) pastry from refrigerator and cut into 1/4 in. slices (using a sawing motion to maintain form) and place on pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer to oven and reduce heat to 400°F and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. Store in tin in refrigerator. Warm briefly to serve.