What's Cookin': Savory Palmiers

I hosted a ladies lunch over the weekend for college friends from Lexington, Louisville and Columbus and had a blast catching up. Mike was in Cleveland enjoying the Steelers victory over the Browns (what a thoughtful Christmas present from his wife ...), so it was truly a girls afternoon. Over the holiday break (our offices were closed), I enjoyed having either HGTV, the Food Network or the Cooking Channel on in the background (more to come on our "vacation" project) and decided that Barefoot Contessa's Savory Palmiers would be the perfect start to our soiree. They received rave reviews from the in-home taste testers and couldn't have been easier to make; alternative ingredient combinations are only limited by your imagination. I prepared quickly the night before and stored the roll in the fridge overnight, ready for cutting and baking right before guests arrived.


Savory Palmiers

1 package Puff Pastry
1/2 c pesto
1/2 c crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 c toasted pinenuts (I omitted)
salt to taste

Lightly flour a board and unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll lightly until it's 9 x 11 inches. Spread pastry with half the pesto, half the goat cheese, half the tomatoes and half the pinenuts. Sprinke with salt.

Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press slightly. Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a sharp knife or floss, cut the prepared rolls into 1/4 in slices and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Each roll should yield about 20 pieces. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

* For a smaller crowd, cut the recipe in half.