Baby Thyme Palmiers

Some of you may have noticed from my Twitter updates that this week I have been preparing for a baby shower for my dearest friend Leslie. I am sure it will surprise you all when I tell you I am in charge of the food, (aside from dessert that is). When I spoke with my co-host Tiffany about her vision she believed an afternoon garden party would be the perfect way to celebrate Leslie’s new baby. I happen to agree.

For two months I have been planning and testing recipes for this special occasion and have come up with one or two road blocks along the way. The most troubling being that apparently pregnant women are no longer allowed to eat. Okay, that may be a gross understatement, but I honestly don’t know how she is surviving without soft and moldy cheeses or smoked and cured meats. No smoked salmon? It’s inhumane! As I read Leslie and early draft of the menu I kept hearing her utter sad little noises and determined that I would need to revamp my menu so the guest of honor would not go hungry.

From tea sandwiches with smoked salmon and ham, I went to roasted chicken with capers and carrots on cracked wheat sourdough buns. I omitted the smoked salmon and capers from my potato salad and added a generous dose of kalamatas. Instead of the feta cheese tartlets, I went with my green pea tart and replaced the chevre with ricotta (imagine, no chevre or feta!). The rest of the spread was relatively safe as I planned to serve celeriac dill remoulade, mixed greens, rosemary toasted almonds, lima beans with parmesan and the eventual star of this post, baby thyme palmiers.

I discovered palmiers several years ago on one of our early Saturday morning trips to La Panier. They were a simple, flaky, buttery rich pastry with a kiss of caramelized sweetness. Addictive perfection. There is nothing I would change about them. . . their sweet application at least.

Savory however is an entirely different ballgame as the shape lends itself to being the perfect little nibble. For a buffet spread it is easy to just toss out crackers or bread so you can concentrate on the other pieces of the puzzle. These little guys are worth the minuscule amount of extra effort it what they receive in reaction alone. I packed my savory palmiers with thyme, seasoning and a whisper of cheese making them a welcome newcomer to any table.

Baby Thyme Palmiers

1 sheet Puff Pastry*, thawed according to the manufacturer’s instruction

2 TBS Fresh thyme leaves (rosemary would be delicious as well)

1 tsp Freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp  Sel de Mer

1 Small garlic clove, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Lay the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out an inch or so on each side. Sprinkle with thyme, pepper, sel de mer, and garlic. Press down lightly with your hands or a rolling pin so the seasonings will stick to the dough.

To shape the palmiers, fold each side of the pastry lengthwise toward the center, flatten and repeat once more before folding in half lengthwise. Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the prepared dough  into thin pieces and lay on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for six minutes. Remove the palmiers from the oven, flip and top with the grated parmesan. Return the palmiers to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing or you will lose the crisp texture.

* Before everyone starts crying Sandra Lee and reaching for stones, get a grip! I am not a pastry chef and there are some perfectly respectable ready made types in the freezer section.

**Sorry about the ugly photo this week, my photographer is off fixing the world, or a computer,  something like that. My skills are not quite up to scratch and of the dozens of photos I took this was the only one that wasn’t completely embarrassing.