Whether you’re baking for guests or just craving something sweet with your coffee, this easy palmier recipe will quickly become a favorite!

What Are Palmier Cookies?

Palmier cookies are a traditional French pastry made from puff pastry and sugar. When baked, the sugar caramelizes and creates a golden, crispy texture with delicate layers.

Palmiers are a staple of French bakeries, found all across the country. I used to love them as part of my goûter, those simple after-school snacks for kids. And now as an adult, I still find myself drawn to them whenever I step into a bakery. The ones sold there are usually much larger than anything you’d make at home (often bigger than the palm of your hand) but their light, crisp texture keeps them from ever feeling too heavy.

In the United States, they are often called elephant ears because of their distinctive heart-like shape. While fair-style elephant ears are usually larger and fried, these French Palmiers are baked, lighter, and more refined. 

Why You’ll Love This Palmier Cookies Recipe

• Only 3 ingredients: puff pastry, sugar and cinnamon.
• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Perfect for beginner bakers
• Light, crispy, and buttery texture
• Great with coffee or tea

Ingredients for Palmier Cookies

You only need three simple ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry (store-bought or homemade). See my notes below for the best puff pastry to use.
• 1 cup granulated sugar. Plain old granulated sugar is the way to go here.
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder. It adds a warm, spiced flavor.

Best puff pastry to use

Store-bought puff pastry works perfectly and saves time. Choose an all-butter version for the best flavor and flakiness. My favorite in the U.S. is Dufour Pastry Kitchens Classic Puff Pastry . It’s made with real butter (not partially hydrogenated oils, which many brands still use), and the flavor is noticeably better once baked. You’ll find it in the freezer section of many grocery stores. If it’s frozen, let it thaw as directed, but keep it chilled until you’re ready to bake. 

How to Make Palmier Cookies (Step-by-Step)

Here are the steps with photos for making palmier cookies. This is nothing complicated, but I feel like adding step by step photos for the folding parts will be particularly be helpful. You can find the detailed ingredient list and the detailed instructions at the end of this article.

1. Make cinnamon sugar. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Prepare the pastry. Lightly sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on your work surface and unfold the puff pastry on top. Use a rolling pin to gently flaten the fold marks, if needed.
3. Add sugar. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the pastry and gently roll it in.
4. Flip the pastry and repeat on the other side (1. sprinke sugar, 2. Roll it in).
5. Fold both long sides by a quarter, toward the center. Then fold again.
6. Fold one half over the other to form a log. Chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Slice. Cut the log into thick slices.
8. Coat with sugar. Toss each slice in the remaining cinnamon sugar.
9. Place on the baking sheet. Slightly open each cookie “ear” to form rabbit ears.
10. Bake. Bake until golden on both sides. Let cool slightly before serving.

Tips for Perfect Palmier Cookies

• Keep the puff pastry cold for easier handling. Puff pastry tends to warm up quickly once you start handling it with your hand and it starts getting sticky. Try and act fast when you fold the pastry.
• Don’t be afraid to use lots of sugar, to create golden, caramelized cookies.
• Slice the pastry log evenly for uniform cookies that bake evenly.
• Bake cookies for 10 minutes and flip them to finish baking to get them crisp on both sides.

Variations of Palmier Cookies

• Vanilla powder – If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, replace it with ½ tsp of vanilla powder.
• Chocolate-Dipped Palmiers – Once they’re baked and fully cooled, dip half of each baked palmier in melted chocolate for a more indulgent treat.
• Savory Palmiers – Skip the sugar and use pesto, cheese, or tapenade for a savory appetizer version. 

 How to Store Palmier Cookies

Store palmier cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, they tend to soften and the caramelize edges stick.

Can you freeze them?

Yes! You can freeze the unbaked sliced cookies and bake them directly from frozen. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade puff pastry?

Absolutely. Homemade puff pastry will give an even richer flavor, but store-bought works wonderfully. I can recommend this homemade puff pastry recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Why are my palmiers not crispy?

They may need more baking time or more sugar to properly caramelize.

Can I make palmier cookies ahead of time?

Yes. You can prepare and slice them in advance. Store them in your fridge (for up to 2 days) then bake just before serving.

Are elephant ear cookies the same as palmiers?

They are similar, but French palmiers are baked and lighter, while American elephant ears are often fried and larger. 

More Easy French Desserts to Try

If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Classic French Madeleines
• Crêpes Suzette Recipe (with Grand Marnier)
• Classic French Crème Caramel
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
• French Almond Cake (Amandier)
• French Crêpes
• Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)
• Double Chocolate Twice Baked Cookies (Croquants)
• Lemon Poppy Seed Sablé Cookies
• Classic French Pear Cake

Easy Palmier Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

Serves: 20 cookies Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 ready-roll puff pastry (250-280g)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon powder

Instructions

1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Lightly sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon sugar on your work surface (or a cutting board) and unfold the puff pastry on top.
2. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of the sugar evenly over the pastry. Using a rolling pin, gently press the sugar into the dough. Flip the dough and repeat: sprinkle about ¼ cup sugar and gently press it with a rolling pin. Fold both long sides by a quarter inward toward the center, then fold again so the two sides meet in the middle, leaving a ¼ inch space in the middle. Finally, fold one half over the other to form a log.
3. Transfer the log to the fridge for 15 minutes, to chill. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick pieces. Toss each slice into the bowl of remaining cinnamon sugar to coat evenly on both sides. Place slices cut-side up on the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Slightly open each cookie "ear" to form rabbit ears.
5. Bake for 14-15 minutes, flipping the cookies after 10 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized. Transfer cookies onto a cooling rack and let cool completly before serving.

The post Easy Palmier Cookies Recipe (French Elephant Ears with Puff Pastry) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Pork and pork shanks in Brittany

Since moving back to Brittany, I have slowly rekindled my love with pork – even though I am not usually a big meat eater. But Brittany is indeed France’s biggest pork-producing region and naturally features heavily in its cooking repertoire. Pork is also an inexpensive meat to shop for here, which is why we often turn to it at the grocery store and at the market. Pork shoulders, pork chops, shanks, belly, pork pâtés and rillettes – if you like pork, Brittany is definitely the place to be!

Of all the pork pieces available, my husband (who is Canadian and recently moved to France with me) was very surprised to find pork shanks were so popular and affordable here. They’re in fact a beloved piece of meat here, as they’re full of flavor, economical and easy to prepare when braised. 

So today I wanted to share with you this very typical method from my home region for cooking pork shanks – slowly braised in beer. This easy method ensures the meat turns fork tender every time and creates such a delicious sauce too. As a personal touch, I like to add spices like cinnamon and cloves, as they complement the beer flavor nicely and add extra warmth to this dish. 

What are pork shanks exactly? 

Pork shanks, known as “jarrets de porc” in French, are an incredibly popular piece of meat in France. Pork shanks come from the front forearm of the pig and are known to be an affordable, lean, yet tough cut of meat. They can in fact turn chewy when cooked incorrectly. However, if you braise them slowly for a long period of time, they turn utterly tender and succulent. This is why you will often find beer-braised and cider-braised pork shank recipes in Brittany. 

Pork shanks are almost always sold bone-in and with the skin on. This means the bone and skin also give the braising liquid a lot more flavor. 

The key to this recipe is to never allow the braising liquid simmer or bowl, or it will toughen the meat. Instead, let the pork shanks cook slowly for about 3 hours until they turn fork tender. 

I think this recipe is thus best suited for weekends, when you can devote a few hours to being home. This is a simple recipe that requires minimal effort and prepping, but it takes more than 3 hours to achieve, so plan accordingly.

Cooking notes: 

• What beer to choose? For this recipe, I recommend using an Amber ale. This type of beer has a medium to high cereal character. It provides delicious roasted flavors and caramel notes to this dish, without being too sweet or overpowering.  Amber Ales are quite popular in Brittany, and known as “Ambré”. You may be lucky enough to find some of our brews in North America. But if you can’t, Amber ales are also very easy to find in North America and will provide a very similar taste. You can find a few suggestions here.  
• Equipment: To achieve this recipe, you will need a heavy bottomed Dutch-oven (about 6-quarts) or a large casserole that can go from the stove top to the oven.
• For this recipe, make sure you purchase fresh pork shanks – not cured or smoked. 
• Pork shanks almost always come bone-in and with the skin on. Even if you’re not planning on eating it, keep the skin on during the cooking process; as it will impart a lot of favor to the meat and braising liquid. Once the shanks are cooked, you can then decide to remove it if you want. 

I hope you’ll love this Beer-Braised Spiced Pork Shanks as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

If you enjoy pork recipe, I suggest you try my traditional French Braised Pork with Prunes recipe and my easy Pork Chops with Apples and Cider recipe. They are two rustic recipes hailing Brittany, my home region, that are perfect for any occasion.

You may also like:

• Classic French Beef Bourguignon
• French Roast Chicken
• Chicken and Mushroom Pie (Tourte)
• Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
• French Tarragon Chicken 
• Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms 
• Chicken Chasseur (Classic French Hunter’s Chicken)
• Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion
• Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Beer-Braised Spiced Pork Shanks

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 3 Hours 3 Hours

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

2 whole fresh pork shanks, bone-in and skin on
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter
1/3 lb (150g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 lb (450g) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
8 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground black pepper
3 sprigs of thyme
3 cups (750ml/24oz) Amber beer
1 cup (250ml) beef stock (ideally, low sodium)

Instructions

Step 1 - One hour before cooking, take the shanks out of the fridge. Season them with salt all over. Let rest to near room temperature. 

Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C) with a rack in the lower middle. 

Step 2 - In a large Dutch oven or casserole, heat up the olive oil and butter on medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the pork shanks and cook until golden all over for about 10 minutes, rotating the shanks every 2-3 minutes. When nicely golden all over, transfer the shanks to a plate. Do not clean the drippings in the Dutch oven. 

Step 3 -Turn the heat to medium and add the shallots, garlic and carrots. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the onion is glistening and fragrant. Add the pork shanks back into the Dutch oven, over the vegetables. Add the cloves, bay leaves, ground cinnamon, black pepper and thyme. Add the beer and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and place in the pre-heated oven for 3 hours, turning the pork shanks after 1 hour and 30 minutes.  

Step 4 -After the 3-hour mark, check if the pork is tender by poking a pointy fork in it. If they still seem too tough, cook for 30 extra minutes. 

For serving, place the shanks in the middle of a shallow plate and pour the braising liquid with the vegetables over top. Serve with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or Gratin Dauphinois.

The post Beer-Braised Spiced Pork Shanks appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The Tradition of Christmas Cookies in Alsace

Christmas cookies, also known as “bredele”, are a huge part of Christmas celebrations in the Eastern French region of Alsace. As early as mid-November, bakers start to prepare batches of these various cookies and sell them on display. If you are visiting Alsace around Christmas time, you will see these little Christmas cookies in virtually every bakery and on every market stand. 

There exists hundreds of bredele recipes out there, from the most traditional to modern takes. They come in various tastes, textures and shapes – cut out, sliced, piped, etc. Some of the most traditional and well-known recipes include the butterbredele, Linzele cookies, Spritz cookies, Leckerli cookies and these Schwowebredele. 

Alsatian people also love to make bredele cookies at home and offer them to their friends and family during the Holidays.

Notes and Substitutions:

• The cookie dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours before being rolled out, so plan accordingly. You can chill the dough overnight or up to 2 days prior. 
• Make sure you use unsalted butter, at room temperature. 
• Do not overmix the dough. Stop when the ingredients are just combined. To do so, I prefer to mix this dough by hand (instead of in a stand mixer) to get a better feel of the dough texture. The less you mix the dough, the more delicate the texture of the shortbread cookies will be. On the opposite hand, the more you mix, the tougher they will be. 
• You can use any cookie cutter shapes of your liking ! 

How to store these Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

• On your counter – These cookies can keep for up to 3 months stored in a metal tin box on your counter. 
• In your freezer – Well stored in an airtight container, these cookies can keep for up to 6 months. To thaw, leave them on your counter overnight. 

This recipe yields about 75 cookies. This is ideal for making a lot of cookies for hosting or Holiday cookie swaps. If you wish to make fewer cookies, you can easily halve the recipe.

I hope you’ll love this Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More cookie recipes you may like: 

• Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes)
• Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies (Linzele)
• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt 
• Breton Salted Butter Sables
• Chocolate chip cookies with fleur de sel 
• Butter Sables from Alsace (Butterbredele)

Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies (Alsatian Schwowebredele)

Print Recipe

Serves: Makes 75 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 32M calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (150g) ground almonds
1 tbsp (7.5g) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the egg wash:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp (15ml) milk

Instructions

Step 1 - In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, ground almonds, ground cinnamon, salt and sugar. Add the butter, cut in rough chunks and mix with your fingers until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the eggs and mix again until just combined and the dough comes together into a rough ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 2 - Take the chilled dough out of the fridge, unwrap and transfer onto a floured working surface. At this point, I like to divide the dough in two before rolling it out. Roll the dough out until it is ½-inch thick (1.27cm) and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

Transfer the cookies onto the paper-lined baking sheets. If the dough is a little sticky, you may need a spatula to delicately unpeel the cookies from the working surface.

Step 3 - In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush the top of the cookies with this egg wash.

Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies turn lightly golden. Let the cookies cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets and then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature, store in a tin box.

The post Almond Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies (Alsatian Schwowebredele) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

“Pains d’Amandes” are a coffee-time cookie favorite in Flanders. They can be found in most grocery stores and markets. They are also favorites amongst home bakers, as they are easy to make, even in large batches.

While you can find many different versions of the recipe, it almost always includes golden or brown sugar, cinnamon to flavor the dough and almonds (whole or sliced) for an extra crunchy texture.

In taste, “Pains d’Amandes” could remind one of speculoos cookies, but with the added goodness of almonds. These are very, very crunchy – which makes them somewhat addictive. They are great to dunk into a coffee or tea, or just to enjoy on their own. Their oblong shape also makes them perfect for sticking into a scoop of ice cream.

A Note on “Cassonade”

Like many regional baked goods from the French Flanders, at the northern tip of France, these Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) are traditionally made with “Cassonade” (brown or golden sugar). 

It is a little known fact that Cassonade is a beloved ingredient in the north of France. In the 19th century, France’s first sugar refineries established themselves around Lille, the capital of French Flanders, importing sugar cane from the French colonies, through the local port of Dunkerque. At the time, Cassonade became a common good in households, and gave cooks and bakers infinite inspiration for sugar-focused recipes. 

Still today, Cassonade holds a prominent place in Northern French cooking. It is enjoyed in popular local specialties, including la tarte au sucre (sugar pie), les gauffres fourrées au sucre (sugar-stuffed waffle cookies), and perhaps the most popular of all, Beef & Beer Carbonnade.

As far as using golden sugar (Cassonade Blonde) or brown sugar (Cassonade Brune) in this recipe, I tested it with both and found that using brown sugar gave more depth of flavor. The trials using golden sugar were delicious too, but a bit subtler in taste. I have also come across recipes that use crystal sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar – which I believe makes for an even crunchier cookie.

How to store Pains d’Amandes? 

• Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 12 days at room temperature.
• Freeze them in airtight container for up to 3 months.

Baking notes:

• This recipe requires the cookie dough to rest and firm up in the fridge overnight, so plan accordingly.
• The first step of this recipe is to melt the butter with sugar in a saucepan. The butter should be completely melted but do not let the sugar completely melt/dissolve. Keeping sugar crystals intact will make for the signature crunch of these cookies. 
• I recommend you line up your baking sheet with parchment paper, and not silicon mats. Parchment paper will ensure the cookies turn dry and crispy, while they may not get as crispy if using a mat. 
• This recipe is easy, but the slicing of the dough into thin slices may be the only step that is a little delicate. Once taken out of the fridge, the dough will warm up and soften fast. Act quickly or you will end up with soft, thick and/or uneven slices, especially if you hit a hard almond. Make sure you use a very sharp knife (this is essential). Cut the slices with a quick and confident motion.
• Half-way through baking, the cookie slices need to be flipped. To do so, I like to use a large spatula and slide it under 2-3 cookies slices at a time and flip them. I find it easier than to slide it under each cookie one by one – they tend to fold/get misshapen when doing so.
• Along with baking sheets, you will also need a 8×8-inch (20.3×20.3cm) square pan or a 9×5-inch (22.9×12.7cm) loaf pan for this recipe.

I hope you’ll love this Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies (Linzele)
• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt 
• Breton Salted Butter Sables
• Chocolate chip cookies with fleur de sel 
• Butter Sables from Alsace

Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes)

Print Recipe

Serves: Makes 60 cookie slices Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

1/2 cup  (8 tbsp/1 stick/115g) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (295g) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
1/3 cup (79g/ml) water
2 1/3 cups (325g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cup (85g) whole almonds (unblanched)
1/3 cup (30g) almonds slices

Instructions

Make sure to read the baking notes (above) before you start.

Step 1 - In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Place over medium heat and let melt, stirring occasionally, until the butter is all melted, but the sugar still has a grainy texture (we don’t want to melt the sugar entirely here). Immediately remove from the heat.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Pour the sugar mixture in and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Add almonds and almond slices and stir again until just incorporated.

Step 3 - Line a 8x8-inch (20.3x20.3cm) square pan or a 9x5-inch (22.9x12.7cm) with parchment paper (bottom and sides). Press the dough into the pan and cover with plastic film. Chill overnight.

The next day, pre-heat your oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the middle and line-up 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4 - Pull the dough out of the pan, unwrap the dough and transfer onto a cutting board. It should resemble a firm block of fudge.

If you used a 8”x 8” square pan, start by slicing the square in the middle (so you have two 4”x 8” rectangles). Using a very sharp knife, slice the rectangles into 1/8-inch slices (or as thin as you can). Place slices onto baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch space in-between each slice.

Bake (one sheet at a time) for 10 minutes, until golden underneath. Quickly flip cookies and bake 8-10 minutes until crisp-looking and golden.

Transfer cookies onto cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from Oncuisine.fr and Flo Braker’s book ‘Sweet Miniatures’. 

The post Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

A Crisp or a crumble – do you know the difference? 

In France, I grew up preparing and eating what we call in French “crumbles” – and that was the only name I ever knew. I have always loved the combination of soft fruit filling against the crunch of the topping. This dessert is very popular in France, and I remember making it very often during my University years as it’s simple, affordable and always pleases your company.

When moving to Canada, I started to hear about “crisps” and “crumbles”, and assumed these were basically two different words for the same dessert. But as I did more research I learned that “crumble” designates a dessert made of fruit filling topped with a crumble of flour, sugar and butter. While a “crisp” is topped with a crumble of flour, sugar, butter and oats. A crisp topping is typically less dense and more crisp (hence the name), while a crumble tends to be more “cakey”.

Choose the Right Apples

This rule applies to any baking project that includes apples: choose baking apples. Compared to eating apples, baking apples aren’t as juicy and won’t turn mushy once baked. Good baking varieties I recommend are:

• Jonagold
• Braeburn
• Honey Crisp
• Mutsu
• Pink Lady
• Northern Spy
• Granny Smith 

You can opt for one single variety or a mix. For instance, you can combine tart and tangy Granny Smith apples with sweet Honey Crisp apples for a nice balance of textures and flavors.

More cooking notes:

• Make sure you use Gluten-free old-fashioned oats, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
• For the ground almonds, blanched or un-blanched both work
• For slicing the apples, use a very sharp kitchen knife or a mandolin.
• I love pecans in this crisp topping. The taste and texture pairs perfectly with the apples and cinnamon. Walnuts would work perfectly too if you prefer.
• The baking dish I used for these photos is 8”x11” and it was perfectly sized.

I hope you’ll love this Gluten-Free Apple Crisp recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Apple Breton Pound Cake 
• Apple Cinnamon Galette 
• Classic French Apple Cake
• Orange Yogurt Cake 
• Salted Butter Breton Sables

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

2 lbs (900g) baking apples
2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup (85ml) honey

For the crisp topping:
1 ½ cup (140g) Gluten Free Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats
½ cup (50g) ground almond
½ cup (55g) pecans, coarsely chopped
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar (light or dark)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed.
(Optional) For serving: crème fraiche.

Instructions

Step 1 – Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half or quarters, and slice them into very thin slices by hand or by using a mandolin. As you go, place the apple slices in a large bowl with the lemon juice and toss them to coat (so the apples don’t brown). Add the cinnamon and honey, and toss again to coat evenly.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle.

Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, ground almond, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible.

Step 3 -Place the apples in a large baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over top of the apples. Do not pack it down.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the topping is golden.

Let the crisp rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve in individual bowls, on its own and with a dollop of crème fraiche on top.

The post Gluten-Free Apple Crisp appeared first on Pardon Your French.

So what is a French “Pain d’Épices”? 

Despite appearances, a Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’Épices) shouldn’t be mistranslated as a “gingerbread”. Less sweet than its American cousin, a Pain d’épices doesn’t include egg nor butter – it is indeed a “pain” (bread). It is also made with rye flour for more earthiness, and honey – while gingerbreads often include molasses – making for a lighter sweetness that lets the spices shine a bit more. The spice blend of a Pain d’Épices is also more complex, including cinnamon and ginger, but also nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, anise seeds and star anise.

How to enjoy a “Pain d’Épices”? 

Being a cross between a bread and a cake, a Pain d’Épices makes for an equally delicious sweet or savory treat.

• As a starter or on a cheese board – Over the Holidays, Pain d’Épice is often served as a starter, cut in thin slices with foie gras or just before dessert with soft cow’s-milk cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
• For Breakfast – Because it isn’t too sweet, a Pain d’Épices is a great breakfast staple and the perfect canvas for butter, jams and marmalades. I personally love it with a little slab of butter and a drizzle of honey. 
• As a snack – It is also a wonderful pick-me-up in the afternoon as it is satisfying and full of flavor – and again, not too sweet.

Cooking notes:

• Using freshly ground spices, instead of pre-ground /store-bought, will make all the difference here. Freshly ground spices are so much more fragrant and keep their flavor better even after baked. For this recipe, we will need freshly ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper – so using a spice grinder is highly recommended.
• Traditionally, a Classic French Spiced Bread calls for dark rye flour. But from my experience, light rye flour works well too. The difference is almost unnoticeable in taste.

Just like many staples French recipes, there are countless variations of a Pain d’Épices. Some prefer it lighter and drier (closer to a bread), some prefer it moist and more intense in flavor (closer to a cake). This recipe, in my opinion, strikes a happy medium. This Pain d’Épices is soft, moist and perfectly spiced; yet it isn’t too sweet. 

Recommended Equipments:

• A food scale 
• A spice grinder
• A loaf pan

You may also like: 

• Spiced Cookies with Candied Citrus Peels and Almonds (Leckerli)
• Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll 
• Almond Chocolate Twice-Baked Cookies from Provence (Croquants)
• Raspberry Jam-Filled Sablé Sandwiches (Lunettes de Romans)
• Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’Épices) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’Épices)

Print Recipe

Serves: 1 loaf Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.9/5

( 19 voted )

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup (125g) dark rye flour
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp (30g) brown sugar (light or dark)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, whole
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp finely-grated orange zest (or clementine)
1 cup (250ml) milk (2%)
2/3 cup + 1 tbsp (250gr) honey
1 or 2 star anise, whole

Instructions

Step 1 – Pre-heat your oven to 305F (150C) with a rack in the middle. Grease a 8.5-9 inch loaf pan with butter, dust with flour and set aside.

Step 2 – In a saucepan over medium heat, warm together the milk and honey, along with the star anise. When the milk is hot and the honey has dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside to infuse.

Step 3 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the two flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, anise seeds, pepper, salt, baking soda and orange zest.

Step 4 – Slowly pour in the milk and honey into the dry ingredients (discard of star anise), mixing with a wooden spoon. Stop mixing when just combined.

Step 5 – Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack for 30 minutes before removing from the pan and let cool completely.

Enjoy immediately or wrap in foil and wait 24 hours before enjoying, to allow the flavors to develop further. 

Notes...

This Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’épices) can keep well wrapped for up to 1 week. It can keep for up to 3 months in the freezer (in an airtight container or freezer bag). Make sure the bread is completely cooled before freezing it. Thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy & Disclosure page for more details

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The ideal crust for a Galette: a “Pâte Brisée”.

For making a Galette, I find a Pâte Brisée is the best candidate. A “Pâte Brisée” is the French version of a standard pie crust, made with a generous amount of butter. In comparison to a “Pâte Sucrée” (traditionally used for a French Lemon Tart) or a “Pâte Sablée” (traditionally used for a French Frangipane Apricot Tart), a Pâte Brisée is made with only flour, butter and water – no sugar and no eggs. This means it can be used for both sweet and savory pies, tarts or galettes. 

Because the flour and butter are mixed with water (water encouraging the gluten development in the flour), a “Pâte Brisée is sturdier and less sandy – which is what you want to shape galettes easily, and avoid having the edges crumble when you fold them over the fruits. That said, it is essential not to overmix the dough (stop mixing when it just comes together) or your crust will end up too tough once baked. 

To sum it all up, I love to use a Pâte Brisée for making galettes, as it is deliciously buttery yet easy to work with and very forgiving. The crust is quickly chilled for 20 minutes (for the butter to chill again) and then rolled out and filled with fresh fruits, before the edges are folded over in a free form manner.

Choose the right apples

Just like choosing the right crust, you have to choose the right apples. And the rule for an apple galette is the same as for a classic apple pie: choose baking apples. Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy or Granny Smith are all great varieties to use here. These aren’t as juicy once baked, and won’t turn mushy nor make the crust underneath become soggy. 

I personally love to use Granny Smith for a galette. They are crisp, tart, tangy and not too sweet. They also have a firm flesh that holds its shape when baking, which is perfect to slice the apples very thin and create a pretty pattern. 

More Cooking tips: 

• It is essential to use cold butter and ice cold water to make the dough. Cold butter -not room temperature- will distribute into the flour without softening. And ice-cold water will bind the ingredients together without softening the butter. This ensures little bits of butter are still present in the dough once rolled out, which makes for a most tender baked Pâte Brisée. 
• The Pâte Brisée needs to be chilled at least 20 minutes before being rolled out. If the dough is too cold and firm when trying to roll it out, let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes so it warms ever so slightly to become easier to roll out. If the edges of the dough crack a bit when you fold them over the fruit, do not fret. You can simply wet your fingers lightly under lukewarm water and “rub” the cracks to bind the dough back together. 
• Do not overfill the galette with apples. When laying the apple slices flat onto the crust, make sure you leave a 2-inch border all around, so you can easily fold the edges over the apples later. Likewise, place the apple slices flat in one single even layer, so they bake evenly too. If there is too much apple filling, your galette may not bake properly and the filling may burst to the side. 

I hope you enjoy this Apple Cinnamon Galette as much as I do! Serve it warm or cooled down, with a big dollop of crème fraiche on top (in true French fashion) or a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream. 

You may also like:

• Peach & Blueberry Galette 
• Classic French Apple Cake 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin 
• Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake from Brittany
• Classic French Tarte au Citron

Apple Cinnamon Galette

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte Brisée :
1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup to 1/3 cup (50ml to 78ml) ice water

Filling base:
4 tbsp (24g) almond flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Filling:
4 medium baking apples
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp (15ml) milk, for brushing

Optional: 2 tbsp Apricot jam

Instructions

Make sure you read my cooking tips (above) before you start.

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte Brisée. Mix the flour, salt and butter with your fingers or pulse in a food processor, until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough just comes together into a rough ball; do not over-mix or your crust will end up tough. Add a few more splashes of water if you feel the dough is too crumbly - but try to keep the water to a minimum. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.

Step 2 – Take the dough out of the fridge. Transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to circle of 16-inch (40cm) in diameter. Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Step 3 – In a small bowl, combine the almond flour with the cinnamon. 

Pre-heat the oven to 375F (190C) with a rack in the middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4 – Spread the almond flour mix onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch (5cm) border around the edge. This mix will absorb the juice of the fruits when baking and prevent the crust from getting soggy. 

Step 5– Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half or quarters, and slice them into very thin slices. Press each half slightly to fan out the slices. Gently slide the knife under the slices, lift them up and place them in the middle of the crust. I like to start by placing all the halves, and then use the quarters to fill in gaps.

Step 6 –Sprinkle the apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Fold the edges of the dough up over the fruits to create a 1 ½ inch (3.8cm) border. Whisk egg yolk and milk in a small bowl and brush this egg wash onto the folded border.

Bake for about 50min to 1hr, or until the crust is golden.

Optional: When the galette is still warm, brush some apricot jam on the apples for a shiny finish.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy & Disclosure page for more details. The Pâte Brisée recipe is based on Jacques Pépin’s Plum Galette recipe

The post Apple Cinnamon Galette appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Fun fact, the name “teurgoule” means twisted mouth in Norman (the regional language from Normandy). It is a reference to the faces supposedly pulled by Normandy people tasting this dessert – not out of disgust, but astonishment, as cinnamon was once a very foreign taste.

Indeed, the teurgoule is a great testimony of Lower Normandy being a major halt on the Spice Road in the 18th century. Ships from the India’s imported spices and grains to the Honfleur industrial port, introducing rice and cinnamon to the Normandy people for the first time … With milk already being a beloved local ingredient, this slow-baked rice pudding recipe was invented to get locals cooking with the new foreign ingredients. The teurgoule got adopted quickly by the Normandy people, who baked it in bread ovens after the bread was done, to give it a slow baking process.

Rice, cinnamon, sugar and milk. That is all you need to create this intensely flavorful and creamy dish. Surely one of the reasons why it remains still today a favorite in Normandy households.

You will also need a deep, earthenware dish – of any shape of your choosing, as long as it is deep and sturdy.

Do not rush the baking process as it is crucial to create the signature features of this dish. The several hours of baking creates a velvety soft pudding and the thick brown caramelized crust over the teurgoule. The taste of cinnamon is somewhat subtle, but goes perfectly with the creaminess of this dish.

Locals will tell you are not supposed to eat the crust, but I myself can’t resist the sweet little taste of Dulce de Leche that it has. Some people will also add some butter on top of the crust at the end of baking, to give it a darker hue (and even richer taste!).

This slow-baked Rice pudding with Cinnamon is traditionally enjoyed with a slice of “Fallue”, the classic creamy brioche from Normandy. And just like the Fallue, the “fallue and teurgoule brotherhood” organizes each year a national cooking competition to elect the best teurgoule.

This recipe is the one of French Baker Phillipe Gouley, winner of the Golden Teurgoule four years in a row. He also won several Golden Fallue.

Slow-baked Rice Pudding with Cinnamon

Print Recipe

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 3 hours 30 minutes 3 hours 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.1/5

( 7 voted )

Ingredients

1 liter of milk (2%, or higher)
½ cup light brown sugar (100g)(or 90g for a less sweet dessert)
10 sticks of cinnamon (20g) or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/3 cup arborio rice (65g)
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300F.

In a medium sauce pan, bring the milk, sugar and cinnamon sticks (or powder) to a simmer. Take off the stove, and remove the cinnamon sticks.

Place the rice in a deep earthenware dish and pour the milk on top. Add a pinch of salt, stir gently and place in the oven.

Bake for 3 and a half horus, until a thick crust has formed on top.

Take out of the oven and let cool down to room temperature.

 

 

 

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