Today I’m writing about palmiers — one of the simplest baking recipes you can make and one of the most flexible. These crisp, buttery pastries can be sweet or savoury, adapted with cheese, chocolate, pestos or preserves, and are a brilliant project for kids or a quick way to impress guests with freshly baked treats that take only minutes to prepare.
Clickbait Woes
This morning I saw a headline proclaiming “Ham & cheese toasties will make your Pinterest dreams come true.” It’s a classic example of clickbait — an overblown title that promises more than the content can deliver. Headlines like “This recipe will change your life” or “You’ll be the most popular person in town” are common, and while food can enrich and delight, it doesn’t rewrite your entire life story.
Clickbait thrives because many people accept sensational claims without scepticism and follow the link hoping for transformation. More often than not, the result is simply a recipe for something familiar — delicious, perhaps, but not life-altering. Using exaggerated claims is dishonest and insulting to readers; it assumes an audience that can be easily duped rather than respected.
You’re Not Stupid
Headlines that pander to the gullible are degrading. During recent political seasons we saw how misleading headlines and fabricated stories can influence opinion; the same mechanics power clickbait. When a site suggests a simple dish will transform your life, it’s promising more than food should reasonably be expected to deliver.
If someone genuinely feels they need a major change, a recipe isn’t a substitute for professional help. A toastie or a palmier can cheer you up, nourish you and bring pleasure, but it won’t fix deep-rooted problems. Good food can enrich life, but it’s not a panacea.
I’m Not Stupid Either
You might wonder whether calling palmiers “the easiest in the world” is hypocritical after the rant about clickbait. I don’t think so. The claim is modest: palmiers are genuinely simple — they can be made with two ingredients, take around 15 minutes in the oven and require no bowls or special utensils beyond a baking sheet and greaseproof paper.
Once baked and placed on a plate, they look impressively homemade. They’re also highly adaptable — a perfect base for experimentation. Below I offer two versions to get you started: a savoury Comté and pesto rosso palmier and a sweet cinnamon version. Use them as inspiration rather than strict rules. Swap cheeses, spreads or sugars, and enjoy tweaking flavours. If an experiment doesn’t work out, you’ve only spent a few minutes — and likely learned something for next time.
Comté and Pesto Rosso Palmiers
By Gavin Wren
Serves 8
Uses a baking sheet and greaseproof paper
Ingredients
375g ready-rolled puff pastry
150g Comté cheese, grated
4 tablespoons pesto rosso (red pesto)
Sweet Cinnamon Palmiers
By Gavin Wren
Serves 8
Uses a baking sheet and greaseproof paper
Ingredients
375g ready-rolled puff pastry
6 tablespoons Demerara sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
The method is the same for both versions.
Preheat your oven to gas mark 7 / 425ºF / 218ºC (198ºC fan). Roll the pastry out on the greaseproof paper it came with. If the pastry is thicker than 5mm, roll it thinner.
Position the pastry so the long edge is nearest you. Spread your chosen topping evenly to the edges. If you have a rolling pin, press the topping into the pastry, or use a flat pan to do the same.
Slice the pastry down the middle so you have two roughly square pieces. Take one piece, peel it from the paper and roll from one edge tightly toward the centre. Turn and roll the opposite edge to meet the first, forming a compact tube. Repeat with the second piece.
Wrap the rolls in the baking paper and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for about an hour to firm up. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Remove the chilled rolls and slice into 1cm-thick slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet with space around each to allow for rising.
Bake for 13–15 minutes until the palmiers are puffed and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!