Growing up my family always brought home pan dulce, and my favorites were orejas and conchas. Orejas — also called palmiers or palmeras — are simple, crisp puff pastry cookies dusted with cinnamon sugar. They’re surprisingly easy to make at home, and you can speed things up by using store-bought puff pastry if you prefer.
Palmiers are a classic puff pastry treat found in many cuisines. In Spanish-speaking families they’re often called “orejas” (ears) and in English you might hear them called elephant ears. Below I walk through both a quick method using boxed puff pastry and the steps to make a basic puff pastry from scratch if you want the extra-flaky, homemade version.
Ingredients to make puff pastry from scratch
- All-purpose flour
- Ice cold water
- Sugar
- Salt
- Very cold butter — unsalted or salted (adjust additional salt if you use salted butter). Keep the butter very cold; chill in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before cutting.
- Cinnamon-sugar — a mix to sprinkle on the pastry (cinnamon + granulated sugar).
Making puff pastry at home is more about technique than difficulty. The goal is to create visible layers by repeatedly rolling and folding the dough. These layers puff up when baked and give you the flaky texture that makes palmiers so good. If you want to skip the lamination process, a sheet of store-bought puff pastry works perfectly and saves a lot of time.
How to make Orejas (Palmiers)
Once your puff pastry is rolled out, the classic oreja shape is easy to form. Coat the surface with cinnamon-sugar, fold the long sides inward two or three times, then fold the whole sheet in half. Slice into 1-inch pieces, flatten slightly, and bake until golden and crisp. The result is tender, buttery layers with a caramelized cinnamon-sugar crust.
Baking instructions
- Place orejas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them 1–2 inches apart depending on size. Use a spatula to gently press each piece to about half its thickness (roughly 1/2 inch), then sprinkle a little extra cinnamon sugar on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (about 200°C) for 10 minutes. Flip each cookie and bake another 10–12 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown and caramelized.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. They pair beautifully with coffee, tea, or champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) for a festive breakfast or snack.
Orejas (Palmiers)
Servings: 8 small orejas
Ingredients
To make puff pastry from scratch (or use 1 box puff pastry)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup ice cold water, added gradually
For the Orejas
- puff pastry (homemade or boxed)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Puff pastry
- Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes. Keep everything cold to maintain flaky layers.
- Combine the butter with the flour mixture by gently tossing and rubbing until the mixture forms a rough, craggy dough with visible butter pieces. Do not overwork.
- Add ice cold water a little at a time, tossing until the dough just comes together and still contains lumps of butter.
- Shape into a rough rectangle, wrap in parchment, and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the sides toward the center like a business letter. Repeat rolling and folding 5–6 times to build layers. Chill at least 30 minutes before using.
Orejas
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a rectangular shape about 1/2 inch thick. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough, reserving a tablespoon or two for topping.
- Fold in the long sides toward the center two times, then fold the whole sheet in half to form the palmier log.
- Slice the log into 8 equal pieces (or more for smaller orejas). Place each piece cut-side up on parchment-lined sheets.
- Press each piece gently with a spatula to flatten slightly, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar, and bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 10–12 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.
- Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or a warm chocolate drink.
Tips: Work with very cold butter to preserve layers, chill the dough between folds if it warms, and space orejas well on the sheet to allow even browning.
Additional Info
Author: Stella Navarro-Kim
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Keywords: orejas, palmeras, palmiers, puff pastry