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Elephant ears, or palmiers, are quick and easy to make snacks, ideal contributions to school summer fairs, village fêtes and church picnics. I rely on this quick and easy recipe to limit the time spent in the kitchen at this time of year. Sweet or savoury, palmiers are always popular and they keep well for a few days in an airtight container.

Ingredients
1 pack all butter puff pastry
½ jar pesto
7 ounce/200 gram pack Feta cheese

Method

1. Roll out the pastry on a floured board until it measures approximately 12×8 inches (30x20cm)
2. Spread with pesto
3. Crumble the Feta cheese over the pastry
4. Roll the long sides of the pastry in about 2 inches (5cm) and then roll again so that the two ends meet in the centre. Fold again to form a roll.
5. Put the roll into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to make slicing easier
6. Cut the roll into slices about ¼ inch (1cm) thick and place on a silicone lined baking sheet, leaving space for the palmiers to spread as they cook
7. Cook in a hot oven, 425°F/220°C/gas 7 for about 10 minutes, until crisp and golden

Variations

I use whatever I have in the refrigerator or store cupboard: red or green pesto, tomato paste, even tomato ketchup in an emergency. I use different cheeses and add sundried tomatoes or olives if I have them to hand.

One sweet version that is popular is made with cinnamon sugar. Mix a generous teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 2 ounces (56 grams) sugar. Roll the pastry out and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the pastry and fold as described above, brushing each fold with egg and sprinkling with the sugar mixture. Chill, slice and bake. Hide the cooked goodies quickly or they won’t make it to the cake stall; the smell of warm cinnamon attracts everyone to the kitchen.