Palmier facts for kids
Palmier
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| Alternative names | Palm tree, elephant ear, pig's ear, prussiens |
|---|---|
| Type | Pastry |
| Place of origin | French Algeria |
| Region or state | France |
| Main ingredients | Puff pastry, butter, sugar |
A palmier (pronounced palm-YAY) is a delicious French pastry. It gets its name from the French words for 'palm tree leaf' because of its unique shape. You might also hear it called a 'pig's ear,' 'palm heart,' or 'elephant ear' due to its fun, curled appearance.
Palmiers are sometimes known by other sweet names like 'palm leaves,' 'French hearts,' or 'glasses.' This tasty treat was first created in the early 1900s.
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How Palmiers Are Made
Palmiers are created using a special dough called puff pastry. This dough is very flaky, similar to the dough used for croissants, but it does not contain yeast.
To make puff pastry, bakers layer thin sheets of dough with butter. They roll and fold these layers many times. This process creates hundreds of super thin, flaky layers in the dough.
Once the puff pastry is ready, it is rolled out flat and sprinkled with sugar. Then, the two long sides of the dough are rolled inwards until they meet in the middle. This forms a tight roll.
Next, the roll is cut into thin slices, usually about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. These slices are often rolled in more sugar before they are baked until golden and crispy.
Different Names for Palmiers
Palmiers are popular all over the world, and they have many different names!
- In Spain, they are called palmeras (palm trees). Sometimes, they are topped with coconut or chocolate.
- In Puerto Rico, palmeras are often drizzled with honey.
- In Mexico and other Latin American countries, they are known as orejas, which means 'ears'.
- In China, people call them butterfly pastries.
- In Greece, they are usually known as gyalákia, meaning 'little glasses'.
- In Germany, they are called Schweineohren, which means 'pig's ears'.
- In Italy, they are known as Prussiane.
- In Switzerland, you might hear them called Prussiens or cœur de France ('heart of France').
- In Catalonia and Valencia, they are called ulleres (eyeglasses) or palmeras.
- In the United Kingdom, they are sometimes called 'little hearts' or 'sweet hearts'.
- In Japan, since 1965, they have been known as Genji Pie.
There is also a type of palmier biscuit called an arlette. It is flavored with delicious cinnamon.
See also
In Spanish: Palmera (bollería) para niños
