Name: Toaster-Oven Ham and Cheese Palmiers
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: FrenchEurope
Ingredients: 1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry , thawed; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme; 2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (1 cup); 4 ounces thinly sliced deli ham

Why This Recipe Works

French palmiers are made from puff pastry that has been rolled up and sliced into thin pieces that are said to resemble palm leaves, elephant ears, or butterflies. We retooled this typically sweet pastry into an elegant but easy, savory appetizer that can be made in advance and thrown in the toaster oven whenever you want to impress. This appetizer is as simple as brushing store-bought puff pastry with Dijon mustard, sprinkling it with minced thyme, layering in sliced ham and Parmesan cheese, and rolling it in from the sides. To finish the pastries, we simply sliced the log and baked the palmiers until they were golden brown and crispy. Freeze some for up to a month, and then bake up as many as you want for hot and tasty bites ready for entertaining.

Before You Begin

To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The air-fry or convection setting helps to achieve a crisp crust on the palmiers; if your toaster does not have these functions, use the standard bake function. The number of palmiers you can bake at one time will depend on the size of your baking sheet.

Instructions

Roll puff pastry into 12-inch square on lightly floured counter. Brush evenly with mustard; sprinkle with thyme and Parmesan; pressing gently to adhere, and lay ham evenly over top. Roll up opposite sides of pastry until they meet in middle. Wrap pastry log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select air-fry or convection setting, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line large and small rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using sharp knife, trim ends of log, then slice into ⅓-inch-thick pieces. Space desired number of palmiers at least 1 inch apart on prepared small sheet; space remaining palmiers evenly on prepared large sheet. Re-shape palmiers as needed.

Bake small sheet of palmiers until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer palmiers to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. (Palmiers can be held at room temperature for up to 6 hours before serving.)

Freeze remaining large sheet of palmiers until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer palmiers to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook frozen palmiers as directed; do not thaw.