appetizers Archives • Serendipity by Sara Lynn

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!! Today, my Canadian friend, Stephen, comes into town to experience ~~real~~ American Thanksgiving, so to celebrate, here’s a classic Canadian recipe! If you read about my Canada trip, you know that I spent one late, post-beer night at Smoke’s Poutinerie, which I’ve been told is the classic around those parts. I ate “traditional” poutine, some drunk college kids told me I look like Bjork, and then we piled into an uber and I woke up with a gravy hangover the next day.

Tomorrow, I also plan on waking up with a gravy hangover although I’m hoping this gravy is topped over a mountain of mashed potatoes and cornbread stuffing. Yesterday I went to the liquor store after work, which was absolute utter madness, but I got some fancy gin, and I’m ready to party. I will be spending my weekend surrounded by 40+ people who share my DNA, and I have dubbed myself the official gin + tonic maker for the weekend.

When I asked in my Toronto post if it would be sacrilege to use tater tots instead of french fries in poutine, Stephen came back with a resounding “YES”. However, because I have no manners, and because deep frying foods in my own house is something I avoid like spiders and vacuuming, tater tots were the obvious choice. Plus, tater tots ♥

While we’re on the matter, would if be totally inappropriate for me to top mashed potatoes with gravy and cheese curds? Do you think Stephen would just totally leave the country and never come back??? Would mashed potatoes + gravy + cheese curds be delicious with gin + tonics? Or is that the gravy-hangover remedy?? If you have answers for these questions, pls let me know ASAP. There isn’t much time before I pick up the Canadian from the airport and the festivities begin.

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Tater Tot Poutine
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 lb. tater tots (I eyeballed 1/2 of a 2 lb. bag)
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. beef broth
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. cheese curds
Parsley, for garnish

Heat oven to 450* F. Place the tater tots on a greased baking sheet making sure the tater tots don’t touch. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. You want them to be super crispy but not burned.

Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Whisk in beef broth, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme. Stir until thickened. Keep warm.

Drizzle gravy over tater tots. Top with cheese curds, and broil it in the oven until the curds are slightly melted. Top with parsley, if desired.

Serve immediately. Extra gravy optional, beer required.

xo Sara Lynn

*Song of the day: Cosmic Sass by Good Morning

These savory palmiers with parmesan and everything bagel spice are a simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer. They are great with artichoke dip, on a cheese board, or just by themselves!

On overhead image of a man's hand grabbing a savory palmier with parmesan and everything spice from a white plate of palmiers. The plate is on a dark green table spinkled with everything bagel spice next to two glasses of white wine and a beige linen.

After a week and a half of recovering from surgery I’m finally back! Although I can’t say my senior-year spring break was worthy of being considered a “spring break woohoo!” by any means, I can’t really complain about playing lots of guitar, having an excuse to eat ice cream for all three meals, and watching Season 2 of Love for an entire week, right? Take it from me, if you’re sick and also feeling blah about a breakup, ice cream and Love will solve all of your problems…or at least help you pretend you don’t have any in the first place*.

*jk, this is probably not the healthy way to deal with feelings, but we can all be self-indulgent once in a while, right?

Anyways, my week off was fun, but I’m ready to drag myself back into my regular routine so that I can get ready to graduate! As I get closer to graduation, I’m looking for some fun, simple appetizers that I can throw together for my party, and these savory palmiers are definitely my new go-to. They come together in just a few minutes, and honestly, who doesn’t love everything bagel spice?

About palmiers + this recipe

If you’ve never had a palmier, let’s chat, because you’re definitely missing out! Also known as palm leaves, elephant ears, or French hearts, palmiers are a traditional French pasty made with puff pastry and sugar. Puff pastry is a laminated dough similar to croissant dough, but without the yeast. The result is a cookie that is buttery, flaky, and a bit crisp!

As a busy student who loves to cook, I’m always looking for easy appetizers or snacks that I can bring along whenever I’m invited to someone’s house for dinner. Normally, I go for a cheese plate, because cheese = ♥, but I also am passionate about everything spice. So for this recipe, I put the two together for a savory palmier combo that’s reminiscent of an everything bagel with cream cheese, except with more butter. Because, duh.

An overhead image of puff pastry, a jar of flour, a grey bowl of everything spice, a white plate with cream cheese, a white bowl with an egg, a rolling pin, and a pastry brush on an emerald green table.

Ingredients you will need

Puff pastry – frozen or homemade, although I’ve only ever used the pre-made kind.
Cream cheese – the kind that comes in a block. Make sure to leave it out to soften!
Parmesan cheese – preferably grated but any kind will work.
Everything bagel spice – don’t worry, I’ll give you a recipe for how to make your own! You can also buy it pre-made.
Kitchen basics – Kosher salt and an egg.

Three images; on the left, an overhead of a wood board with puff pastry coated in cream cheese and seeds on a green table next to a beige linen. In the middle, a closeup of partly folded puff pastry on a wood board with a grey bowl and beige linen in the background. On the right, the puff pastry is folded on top of each other.

Two overhead images; on the left, sliced palmiers are placed on a wood board with a knife on a green table. On the right, the slices are arranged on a sheet pan next to a bowl of egg wash.

How to make these savory palmiers

Start by rolling the creases in the puff pastry with a floured rolling pin until you have a 9×12” rectangle.
Next, evenly spread half of the cream cheese on the puff pastry. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan, everything bagel spice, and some Kosher salt. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Fold the puff pastry sheets to form two six-layer rolls (instructions below). Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and then cut each roll into sixteen 1/2” slices.
Arrange the cookies at least two inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush with egg wash.
Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately!

How to fold

You have a couple of options for forming palmiers, but each is really simple! Let’s discuss folding vs. rolling.

Folding

To fold the palmiers, start with the long side facing you. Fold the sides of the rectangle towards the center until they go halfway to the middle of the dough. Next, fold the sides again until the two folds meet in the middle of the dough. Lastly, fold one half of the dough over the other half (like a book). You will have one roll with six layers.

Rolling

Alternatively, you can roll the palmiers for a swirlier look. First, lightly mark the center of the dough as a guide. Then, starting with one of the short sides facing you, roll the dough tightly ending at the center of the dough. Turn and roll the other side until the two sides meet. Use a little water or egg wash to help the rolls stick together.

How to serve

Although these savory palmiers are great on their own, you can also serve them alongside other snackies! Here are some of my favorite ways:

With artichoke dip, hummus, or whipped feta
On a cheese or charcuterie board
As a base for crostini (try smoked salmon and capers to stick with the bagel theme)
To dip into soup!

Storing leftovers

Palmiers are best when eaten immediately since they tend to lose their crunch over time. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and leave them at room temp for 2-3 days. Just know that they might lost their crispiness. To crisp them back up, you can always reheat them in the oven at 350° for a few minutes. Just be sure to check on them to make sure they don’t burn!

A close up overhead image of savory palmiers with cream cheese, Parmesan, and everything bagel spice on a dark green table. In the left upper corner, one of the palmiers is broken.

A make-ahead freezer option

If you want to make these savory palmiers in advance, you can always form the cookies, slice them, and then just stick them in the fridge (covered) until you’re ready to bake them. I definitely recommend doing this and baking them right before your guests arrive so they are warm and crispy!

You can also slice the cookies, and layer them in-between parchment paper in an airtight container. Freeze for up to one month. Then, when you’re ready to bake them, let the cookies de-frost for about 30-40 minutes. Brush with egg wash, bake, and enjoy! I love this option for last-minute get-togethers. Especially when the holidays roll around, it’s nice to have something on hand to serve last-minute guests!

Tips & Tricks

The puff pastry will be a bit thick out of the package. Roll it with a lightly floured rolling pin until it’s a 9×12” rectangle. Cut the edges with a pizza cutter if necessary.
If the puff pastry starts to get a bit soft and sticky, just stick it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it back up.
The cream cheese can be a bit hard to spread, but just take your time and work gently. With a butter knife and a little patience, you’ll be able to get it spread evenly.
If the middles will not stick together, just use a little water or egg wash to help them stick.
Make sure to turn the pan halfway into baking or some of the cookies will be crisper than others.
Bake the cookies on the middle rack to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from overcooking.

An overhead closeup image of a white plate of savory palmiers with parmesan and everything bagel spice on an emerald green table sprinkled with everything spice. In the right upper corner is two glasses of white wine. The plate is on a beige linen and there are more palmiers in the upper left and bottom right corners.

More Simple appetizers

Marinated White Beans with Toast
BBQ Chicken Nachos with Cilantro-Lime Crema
Pigs in a Blanket with Everything Seasoning & Parmesan
Tempura Fried Cheese Curds with Sriracha Mayo

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Savory Palmiers with Parmesan & Everything Bagel Spice

These savory palmiers have Parmesan, cream cheese, and everything bagel spice for a unique, simple appetizer. Perfect on a cheeseboard, with artichoke dip, or just by themselves!

Print Recipe Pin for Later

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Cooling Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, French

Servings palmiers