Palmiers (dairy-free quick puff pastry)

Yup, as of this writing, I haven't been able to find a clean puff pastry. Even the well-known brand actually has high fructose corn syrup. I did find one brand that is pretty cleaned at Whole Foods, but for ten dollars??? No thanks!!! Since we are avoiding dairy, I had to come up with my own version.

You know, puff pastry is basically all-purpose flour mix in with cold butter and ice water. When bake in high heat, the layers of dough puff up and becomes very flakey. When making anything dairy free, I substitute butter with coconut oil or palm shortening.

What can I do with puff pastry? Tons!!! I've baked palmiers, pop tarts, hand pies, and I'm pretty sure I have yet to discover what other something sweeter I can come up with.

Dairy-Free Quick Puff Pastry
makes about half pounds
adapted from William Sonoma's quick puff pastry

1/4 cup (2 oz) ice water
1 cup (4 oz) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup (3 oz) coconut oil, soft at room temperature, or palm shortening

1. Fill a cup with ice then add water. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.
3. Mix in the coconut oil or palm shortening to the flour with your fingers.
4. Crumble the oil or shortening into pebble size.
5. Add one tablespoon of ice water at a time.
6. Using your fingers, continue to mix the flour mixture until it comes together into a dough ball.
7. Knead the dough until it comes together to a ball.
8. Follow the instruction on the recipe of your choice.

NOTE: My dairy-free quick puff pastry dough is ready for you to make something sweeter or savory right away. The dough then need to be in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking. This process will firm up the coconut oil or palm shortening. When baking in high heat, the oil will melt slowly, creating that flaky curst.

Give this palmiers recipe a try. They are super easy to make.

Palmiers (a.k.a. Elephant Ears)
makes 24 minis

1 quick puff pastry dough
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Place a nonstick matt or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Set aside.
2. On a nonstick matt or a parchment paper, roll the puff pastry into 1/4 inch thick and rectangular shape.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar on the rolled out puff pastry dough.
5. Roll the longest side of the dough tightly toward the center of the dough.
6. Turn the dough around and repeat on the other side until they both meet in the center.
7. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch thick for minies or 1-inch thick for bigger size palmiers.
8. Place the palmiers on to the prepared baking sheet.
9. Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes. NOTE: At this point, keep the unbaked palmiers in the freezable container or a plastic bag for future baking.
10. When ready, preheat the oven at 375F degree.
11. Place the unbaked palmiers cut side up and make sure they are about an inch apart.
12. Bake the palmiers for 20 minutes.
13. Flip the palmiers over and lower the temperature to 320F degree.
14. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. The palmiers should look golden brown.
15. Set the palmiers on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wiring rack to cool completely. When the palmiers cool, they have crispy texture.

NOTE: During the summer, the coconut oil might be a bit soft to work with. Place the coconut oil in a small bowl and put it in the fridge. Check every minute until the coconut oil has a soft but not hard texture. Palm shortening doesn't liquefied. I definitely prefer palm shortening for the puff pastry.

STORING: Keep the palmiers in an air tight container for up the 3 days.

Allergy Info: This quick puff pastry recipe is free from or can be made without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut or palm), and fish. If you can have dairy, I highly recommend William Sonoma's original puff pastry recipe. I believe Kerrygold unsalted butter is corn free, but do your research on this product to be sure it is 100% safe for your diet.