Recipe: Palmiers with Prosciutto

the appetizer:

Hors d'Oeuvre at Home by The Culinary Institute of America can help novice chefs cook like professionals with recipes like Blitz Puff Pastry, Cheese Sticks (Paillettes), Palmiers with Prosciutto, Crab Cakes with Creole Honey-Mustard Sauce, and Lamb Brochettes with Mint Pesto.

When making palmiers, the dough must be uniformly rolled out
with equal folding to ensure that the product bakes evenly.

Palmiers with Prosciutto

Makes 40 to 45 palmiers

This pastry gets its name from the shape it forms as the result of folding and baking. Make these in batches ahead of time and store them unbaked in logs tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer. Slice and bake them as needed; slicing them frozen is easy when using a serrated knife.

8 oz Blitz Puff Pastry
1/4 cup tomato paste
12 thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Roll out the puff pastry on the work surface to a 10 x 10-inch square and brush with a small amount of the tomato paste.

2. Lay prosciutto over the puff pastry and dust with the cheese. Roll each long side in toward center until they meet. Fold one long side over the other. Slice the pastry crosswise into pieces 1/4-inch thick and place cut side down on parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

NOTE: Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the pastries as they bake to help the pieces stay flat. Remove the top piece for the last few minutes to allow the palmier tops to brown.