Palmiers (蝴蝶酥) [modified version]

First time making palmiers, is easy and fun! Second time making the taste is even better!

Serving size: 18 pieces (puff pastry of 24cm x 24cm)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:      
1 puff pastry (24cm x 24cm)
1/4 cup   Caster sugar (or vanilla sugar)
3 tsp       Melted butter (unsalted)
generous cinnamon powder if want to add variety to original flavor


Steps:

1. Sift or sprinkle half of the caster sugar on your working table surface. 
2. Place the puff pastry on top of the sugar and brush the melted butter on the pastry lightly.
3. Sprinkle the remaining half of the sugar over the pastry.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon powder if you want to create different flavor.
5. Imagine you need to divide the pastry into 6 equal parts, then start from the left side fold 1/6 towards the center, then fold another 1/6 towards the center, now you should have 3 layers of pastry on the left. Do the same for the right side of the pastry.
6. Then fold the left and right side together and you should have 6 layers of pastry now. Press on the pastry gently, so both sides will stick together.
7. Let the pastry chill in fridge for at least half an hour or in freezer for about 20 minutes.
8. Take out the pastry and cut into strips of 1.25cm each in thickness.
9. Brush the melted butter on both sides of the pastry lightly.
10. Pinch and press both sides of the strip to ensure they stick together, to avoid both sides unroll during baking.
11. Place the strips on baking paper. Leave at least 5cm between each strip, as they will expand during baking.
12. Spread the top part of both sides like a "T"-shape.
13. Preheat oven to 200C/395F or 180C/356F if use fan-forced mode.
14. Place the tray in the middle of the oven. Total bake for 20 minutes, monitor first 10 minutes and bake until sugar has caramelized and pastry turns golden brown. Then turn the pastry to the other side and continue to bake until this side also turns golden brown.
15. Allow palmiers to cool on rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

My Tips:

• Avoid brushing too much butter, otherwise the palmiers may become too salty. Use unsalted butter can avoid this problem.
• can also sprinkle a bit of sugar on the surface when palmiers just taken out from over to increase the sweetness.

My comments: Singapore weather is too hot, so palmiers may feel a bit sticky when holding in hand.