Elevate your appetizer game with these Olive and Tomato Savory Palmiers, a delightful twist on the traditional sweet French pastry. Featuring rich tapenade, tangy sundried tomatoes, and crisp puff pastry, these savory pinwheels are perfect for any party or gathering, offering a sophisticated bite that’s as delicious as it is visually appealing.
Maybe because it’s so similar to my home state of California, but the food and flavors of Provence — tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, cheeses, etc — have always felt like second nature. That’s why these Olive And Tomato Savory Palmiers may not sound too exotic, but they are pretty fancy.
When I lived in Europe, I stopped through the region for a couple of days here or there, but it was on a trip a few years ago up the Rhone River that I really got to uncover all that the region has to offer
Recipe Ingredients
To create these exquisite palmiers, you’ll need:
- 1 sheet of all-butter puff pastry (about 14 ounces)
- 1/2 cup tapenade for a deep, olive flavor
- 2/3 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, minced into a paste
- 2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided for layering and topping
- 3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto for a touch of savory meatiness
How to Make This Recipe
Begin by rolling the thawed puff pastry into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the tapenade evenly across the pastry, followed by a layer of sundried tomato paste and most Parmesan cheese. Cover with slices of prosciutto.
Roll the pastry from the long sides to the center, chill until firm, then slice into half-inch pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet, sprinkle the remaining cheese, and bake until golden and crisp.
Variations On This Recipe
- Cheese Varieties: Swap Parmigiano-Reggiano with aged Gouda or Pecorino for a different flavor.
- Add Greens: Incorporate a layer of baby spinach or arugula before rolling for a fresh, peppery taste.
- Spicy Kick: For a bit of heat, add a light spread of chili paste or sprinkle red pepper flakes within the layers.
What Is A Palmier?
Just so we’re on the same page, let’s clarify exactly what we’re talking about.
A palmier (pronounced pahl-mee-eyh) is a French cookie made from puff pastry. Traditionally, it is made by sprinkling puff pastry with sugar, rolling it up, slicing it, and baking it so each cookie looks like a palm frond.
Yes, these cookies are called palmiers, but we’ve also heard them referred to by other names, such as puff pastry hearts, elephant ears, or even pig’s ears.
Whatever you decide to call them, the bottom line is that they’re delicious and one of the classic French cookies we search out whenever we travel to France.
Food Of The Rhone River Valley
As home to the food capital of Lyon, the bakeries in Arles, and numerous cheeses and wines, this part of France has a lot to celebrate in the culinary world.
But one of my favorite food places in this region of France is the main market hall in Avignon, known as Avignon Les Halles. All of those summery flavors that define Provence—hello, lavender, apricots, asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes—were everywhere I turned.
But of everything I tried, I loved how many savory pastries there were. My favorite were the numerous savory palmiers.
Savory Palmiers Bites
Traditionally, palmiers are sweet puff pastry bites, but we’ve also seen them made savory, and we are behind the idea. Though we’ve seen all sorts of savory riffs on them, the place we came across them most was when traveling in Provence.
If you’ve traveled to that corner of France, you’re well aware that everything from the architecture to the art and the food is sun-soaked. When it comes to food, that means sun-baked tomatoes, olives, and various charcuterie.
So we took those flavors to make sundried tomato palmiers. Suffice it to say that this tomato, olive, and prosciutto version of palmiers is not traditional, but it is a bite of Provence that is totally transporting.
Tips For Making Palmiers
- Defrost The Puff Pastry Well Ahead: Follow the package directions for whatever type of puff pastry you buy regarding defrosting. But don’t rush the defrosting step, as doing it wrong could cause the pastry to not puff!
- Use Good Quality Puff Pastry Dough: Speaking of, use really good quality puff pastry dough that is, ideally, all butter. Our favorites are Dufour or Schar if you need it to be gluten-free!
- Pulse The Tapenade Or Tomatoes To Make Them Spreadable: If you have time, we highly recommend you make homemade tapenade because you’ll be able to control the flavors better. Also, if they’re small, it’s easier to spread the tapenade and the sundried tomatoes. To do this, either mince the ingredients or place them in a food processor and pulse the ingredients briefly until they’re even in size.
- Don’t Go Too Overboard On The Ingredients: Adding more ingredients is tempting, but trust us, you don’t want to overdo it. Too many ingredients will make the palmiers greasy, and they’ll likely fall apart when baking.
- Freeze To Slice: You should chill the palmier “log” down before you slice it, as it will hold its shape better when it’s cool.
- And Chill Before Baking: Also, chill the sliced palmiers for just a few minutes—say 5 to 15—before baking so that they don’t “melt” when baking.
- Make Them Ahead: Yes! You can make these ahead of time. You could do so one of two ways: 1) Freeze the sliced palmiers (make sure they’re well wrapped) and then bake them from frozen when you’re ready to serve them (they’ll need a few more minutes to bake since they’ll be frozen) or 2) Bake them up to 1 day ahead of time and then rewarm them briefly in a low oven (say 10 minutes at 250°F) before serving them.
Variations On Savory Palmiers
The most common savory palmiers we have encountered are Parmesan or sundried tomato palmiers. But you could do many flavors, such as pesto and bresaola, Mango and tomato paste, or even quince jam and Cotija!
How To Serve Savory Palmiers
These little puff pastry bites are great because each bite has all sorts of flavors — sweet, salty, savory, etc. —in it. Serve alongside other finger foods like stuffed mushrooms or pickled shrimp for a varied appetizer spread that caters to all tastes. However, they’d be just as at home as part of a cheese board or in an appetizer spread!
Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
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Olive, Tomato, Prosciutto, and Parmesan Savory Palmiers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry about 14 ounces
- 1/2 cup tapenade
- 2/3 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes (about 10 to 12) minced or pulse in the food processor into a paste
- 2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese divided
- 3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Instructions
- Prepare The Puff Pastry: Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Place the defrosted pastry on the prepared work surface, dust lightly with flour, and roll and trim it into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle using a rolling pin and sharp knife. Use a dry pastry brush to dust off any flour.
- Assemble The Palmiers: Using a spoon, spread the tapenade evenly over the surface of the puff pastry. Scatter the sundried tomatoes over the top, then sprinkle all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese evenly over the top. Using the prosciutto, drape the thin slices pieces over the dough so it's evenly covered.Now it's time to roll up the dough to create the palmiers. Starting with one of the longer sides, roll up the pastry tightly like a jelly roll, stopping at the center of the pastry. Repeat with the other side so that 2 rolls meet in the center. Wrap and freeze until firm and sliceable, at least 10 to 15 minutes.
- Slice The Palmiers: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Using a very sharp serrated knife, trim and discard each end, then cut the remaining roll crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Chill in the refrigerator until pastry is firm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Bake The Palmiers: Place the palmiers in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven to 375°F, remove them from the oven, flip them over, and continue to bake them until they are golden all over, 10 to 20 minutes more. Remove the pinwheels to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve. TIP: Palmiers can be baked up to two days ahead. Serve at room temperature or rewarm in a low oven before serving.
