You know those really cute, really sweet, really crunchy cookies that are rolled up to look similar to elephants' ears? I don't like them. I don't understand their use. You never see them at parties and you never hear your girl friend say, "You know what sounds delicious? Elephant ears!" I can only imagine these cookies at a tea party, the guests obligingly biting into them after having scarfed down all the mini cucumber sandwiches and scones. And so, when my chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu recommended we make these Palmiers puff pastries, I paid attention to her demonstration of preparing the cookies, but then blew it off mentally. Why don't I like these cookies, you ask? They're too sugary. They're too crunchy. You bite into one, and instantly, crumbs go flying about in every which way but into your cupped hand held up eagerly to catch the mess below your mouth. But alas, after class, I had more leftover puff pastry dough than I knew what to do with. (After all, I couldn't subject my arteries to making any more Brie en Croute.) So I decided to give these Palmiers a try. But I baked them at a lower temperature so they had a lightly crispy, totally flaky outer layer, but soft inside.

Serves: 12-16 cookies Prep time: 5-10 minutes Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients About 8 ounces Puff pastry dough - 1 store-bought sheet or homemade 1/3 cup sugar 2-3 tablespoons cinnamon A cup of water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4" thickness.

3. Mark the middle lengthwise, just by putting a small indentation with your index finger.

4. Lightly coat the whole surface of the dough with water.

5. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and sprinkle over the whole surface of the dough, coating an even layer of sugary oodness.

6. Gently roll up each side of the puff pastry dough to that middle indentation point. Leave a 1/4-1/2" space in the middle,

7. Slice the dough in 1/2" pieces, then move to a parchment-lined baking sheet, laying them on their sides.

8. If you have some leftover cinnamon-sugar, you can sprinkle it lightly onto the cookies.

9. Bake cookies until light golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. But to be safe, check them at 15 minutes.

My Notes: What if I want crunchier cookies? For a crunchier cookie, bake them at 425 degrees until golden brown. This will take less time, of course, and will likely be finished in 8-10 minutes.