This week brings the release of Disney’s live-action remake of the classic movie Dumbo! Dumbo is definitely a viewed as a classic Disney movie and is beloved by many. I’ve always had a hard time watching this movie, mostly because when I was little I was so heartbroken when Dumbo was separated from his mom that I wasn’t able to fully connect with the rest of the movie. However, Dumbo has become a symbol of Disney magic and wonder and I’m excited to see how this live-action movie will bring new life to his story. Since Dumbo is such a special elephant, I wanted this week’s dessert to celebrate his return to the big screen.
A lot of the film takes place in a circus and so I wanted to combine the foods associated with a circus or carnival and Dumbo’s signature large ears. While thinking about this, I was reminded of one of my favorite carnival treats–elephant ears. At the carnival, elephant ears are traditionally large thin pieces of dough that are deep fried and covered in powdered sugar. While I do love any kind of fried dough, they’re a bit harder to make and share and so I decided to make a smaller baked version in the form of these delicious cinnamon sugar palmier cookies.
Palmier cookies (also known as elephant ears) are French cookies made out of puff pastry and covered in cinnamon sugar. The crispy sweet dough is very reminiscent of its carnival counterpart and the curled shape perfectly captured the look of Dumbo’s ears.
To make these cookies, I used pre-made frozen puff pastry. While you definitely can make your own puff pastry, it is time consuming and the pre-made pastry worked just as well.
Once the pastry is defrosted, simply cover it sugar on both sides and roll it out. I aimed to make a 13×13 inch square, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. Overall, you want the pastry to be just a little bit thinner than it was straight from the package, so don’t worry if it’s more of a rectangle.
Once the sugar is pressed in and the pastry is rolled out, you’ll need to fold it a certain way to create the different layers in the cookies. First, fold two sides about halfway to the middle of the pastry. Then, take the folded sides and fold them again so they meet in the middle. Next, fold one half over the other half, as if you were closing a book. In the end, you should end up with a thin strip of pastry that is closed on one side and on the other you should see the two folds on top of each other.
After folding, use a sharp knife to cut it into 3/8-inch pieces. Place the pieces on the baking sheets, cut side up. Make sure to keep the layers of the pastry together. They will expand in the oven so you’ll want to give them a little bit of room on the baking sheet.
Once baked, enjoy warm or store in an airtight container. I hope these cookies bring a taste of the carnival home and are a small reminder that “the very things that held you down are going to carry you up, and up, and up!”
Dumbo Ears
Don’t just fly, soar with these Dumbo inspired treats! Made of flaky pastry and coated in cinnamon sugar, these delicious cookies will take you to new heights–just in time for the release of the new live-action movie!
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
- ½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, mix together ⅓ cup sugar and the ground cinnamon.
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Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar onto a large flat surface. Unroll the puff pastry onto the surface and on top of the sugar.
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Pour ½ of the cinnamon sugar onto the puff pastry.
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Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry until it’s about a 13×13 inch square and the sugar is pressed into both sides of the puff pastry.
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Fold two sides of the square towards the center, until they are halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet in the middle of the pastry. Fold one half over the other half, as if closing a book.
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Slice the dough into ⅜-inch slices and place onto the prepared baking sheets, cut side up.
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Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
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Bake for 6 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Then, flip with a spatula and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until golden brown on top.
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Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
adapted from Ina Garten