Does anyone know what pastry treat I'm talking about?

I had always called these things "elephant ears", but someone brought some in to work this morning, and they said they were called "prussians" (sp?). I looked up on wikipedia what elephant ears were, and I'm obviously wrong.

Anyways, I think it's considered a pastry, it's a treat that looks like it starts off as one long strip of dough and it's wrapped up and laid flat resembling kind of a heart shape (only without the point at the bottom). It's only delicately sugared - not iced - and baked to an almost crunchy or crusty consitency. It's very airy and not too sweet. If anyone know what I'm talking about, can you tell me what it's called and maybe send me a link with a pic. Thank you.

2007-03-23T06:33:39Z

Just to reitterate the key traits, it is baked not fried. It is not baklava - somewhat similar in level of sweetness, but it doesn't usually come with nuts. It is NOT overly sweet. It does not have powdered sugar on it, but rather seems to be like sugar crystals that are sprinkled on before baking.

2007-03-23T06:36:10Z

Not a croissant. It's not dough that's ROLLED up. And a croissant is fluffy and soft. This - like I said - is baked to a crunchy consistency. It's flat. It's a strip of dough - or pastry - that is rolled around in a pattern like a heart (picture rolling up your belt after you take it off, that's what I mean by a strip of something being rolled up).

2007-03-23T07:18:54Z

John S, that's it! The "palm leaf" things. That's what I'm talking about. But I've never heard anyone call them that before. Does anyone else have another name for these things that this site calls "palm leaves" (look at answer from John S).

John S2007-03-23T06:44:32Z

Favorite Answer

palm leaf = palmier

There is a picture here near the bottom of the page:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Cookies.html

retropink2007-03-23T13:57:39Z

Yes, they're called elephant ears. They're easy to make if you use pre-made (frozen) puff pastry dough.

Sprinkle your surface with some sugar & open a sheet of puff pastry dough on top. Sprinkle with more sugar (about 2 Tbsp or so) and lightly roll out the pastry until it's about 14 x 10 inches.

Sprinkle on about another 1/2 cup of sugar but don't go to the edge. Stop about 1/2 inch from the edge. I also like to sprinkle on the zest from one lemon but that is optional. Using your rolling pin, lightly press the sugar into the pastry.

Starting on one short side, roll up the pastry (jelly-roll style) to the middle of the sheet. Repeat on the other side. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap & refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 425. Cut the roll into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each slice with a little more sugar (I like to using finishing sugar -- it has bigger granuals and looks nice, but regular sugar is fine.)

Bake for about 12 minutes and flip. Sprinkle with a little more sugar. Bake for 5 minutes longer (look for a nice brown color.) Remove to wire racks to cool.

Tip: For holidays you can buy colored finishing sugar. I like to make one batch red & one green for Christmas and I will also use pastel colors for Easter. Very simple and taste great!

Wanna Cookie2007-03-23T13:58:27Z

I think your talking about Palmiers, which are made out of puff pastry, folded into a heart/butterfly shape sprinkled with sugar and baked until crisp.

Here's a site I found for you, although the photo shows five folds in the pastry, the two folded Palmiers are the most common ones found in bakery stores.

If you google image Palmiers you get loads of pics.

http://www.pastrychef.com/htmlpages/recipes/palmiers.html

♫ Chloe ♫2007-03-23T13:30:18Z

It Could be Baklava or Baklawa

It is a rich, sweet pastry found in many cuisines of the Middle East, the Balkans and South Asia and developed in Ottoman cuisine. It is made of chopped nuts, usually walnuts or pistachios, layered with phyllo pastry, sweetened with sugar or honey syrup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Baklava.jpg

Is it??

Anonymous2007-03-23T14:20:19Z

My mom used this recipe for Elephant Ears (or a very similar one) except that she didn't roll them up, she just pulled them thin and sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar. There is a picture too.

Show more answers (6)