Savory Palmiers--Barefoot Blogger's Bonus Recipe

This month's Barefoot Blogger's Bonus Recipe was selected by Becky of Random Musings of a Deco Lady, as she referred the most people to the Barefoot Blogger's site in November.  She picked a quick and easy but still elegant appetizer, Ina's Savory Palmiers.  This recipe appears in the Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics, Ina's newest Cookbook on page 43.  

I am going to admit it--if you haven't figured it out already, I am basically a pretty lazy person!  I will do things that take some time but in an appetizer or pupu, I want it fast and I want it good and I think Ina does both in this recipe. But having been so busy lately, I wanted it even faster so when I saw these little packets of pre-made pesto and a sun-dried tomato version at Whole Foods, I decided to try them.  


Yes it isn't hard to make pesto, I have done it plenty of times.  Nor is it hard to chop sun-dried tomatoes but it was so much more tempting to squeeze it out of the pack!  (I did toast my own pine-nuts though!)  They are actually pretty good, they taste fresh and have good flavor.  I plan to use the remainder in pasta. (You have 21 days to use after opening)

Savory Palmiers
Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics, Ina Garten

1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup prepared pesto, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Kosher salt

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it’s 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto.



Then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. 


Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Homemade Pesto
Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics, Ina Garten
makes 4 cups

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely puréed. Add the Parmesan cheese and purée for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes/Results:  These went together pretty easily, I spread the pesto, then the sun-dried tomatoes , then the cheese and nuts. I felt like my pestos were salty enough that I didn't add more and that was a good call.  I just made a half batch of this recipe. I forgot to take pictures of the folding and since I didn't roll my puff pastry, just unfolded it, I got about 20 instead of the 30 I should have by Ina's recipe.  Overall I liked the flavor, I may have lost a bit of texture because I used the sun-dried tomato pesto instead of the chopped sun-dried tomatoes but I don't think it was noticeable.  Personally I remain a sweet fan when it comes to palmiers--I like the cinnamon and sugar, but these were good.   If you are looking for an easy appetizer that looks impressive to your guests and tastes good, these are a good choice.

Great pick Becky!  Since this is an optional recipe, not all the Barefoot Bloggers may post it but you can check out who did here.  

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