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Spinach and pine nut palmiers

Name: Spinach and pine nut palmiers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 6-8, makes about 35
Ingredients: 100g baby leaf spinach; 50g pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan for 5 minutes; Small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked; 2 tbsp zhoug paste (see Know-how); 50g feta, crumbled; 50ml olive oil; 320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry; 1 medium free-range egg, beaten; You’ll also need…; 2 baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper

Published: 6 Feb 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

You can make these easy freezable canapés ahead of your party or gathering. They make a great snack before a feast or you can serve them as a mini starter before the main course.

Easy
December 2018

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6-8, makes about 35
Hands-on time 15 min, oven time 15-20 min

You can make these easy freezable canapés ahead of your party or gathering. They make a great snack before a feast or you can serve them as a mini starter before the main course.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 65kcals
Fat: 4.9g (1.6g saturated)
Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrates: 3.7g (0.8g sugars)
Fibre: 0.3g
Salt: 0.2g

Per palmier

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Ingredients

100g baby leaf spinach
50g pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan for 5 minutes
Small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
2 tbsp zhoug paste (see Know-how)
50g feta, crumbled
50ml olive oil
320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
1 medium free-range egg, beaten

You’ll also need…

2 baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper

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Method

Put the spinach, pine nuts, mint and zhoug paste in a food processor. then whizz until finely chopped. Crumble in the feta, then add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper; pulse just until it forms a coarse paste. (If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the spinach and pine nuts, then put
in a medium mixing bowl with the crumbled feta and olive oil. Use
the end of a rolling pin to pound the ingredients to a paste.)
Unroll the pastry sheet onto a chopping board, then spread all over with the paste. Starting from one long edge, roll up the pastry until it reaches the centre, then stop and roll the other long edge into the centre so both sides meet. Brush a little beaten egg down the edge of each pastry roll, then gently press the pastry together to seal. Brush all over with more beaten egg, then chill for 10 minutes until firm (see make ahead).
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the pastry roll into slices just under 1cm wide (you should get about 35 palmiers). Lay them on the baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature (or see make ahead).

Recipe from December 2018 Issue

Nutrition

Per palmier

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 65kcals
Fat: 4.9g (1.6g saturated)
Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrates: 3.7g (0.8g sugars)
Fibre: 0.3g
Salt: 0.2g

delicious. tips

Freeze the rolled pastry (step 2), wrapped in non-stick baking paper and cling film, for up to 1 month. Defrost fully in the fridge, then slice and bake as in the recipe.

The baked palmiers will keep for 1-2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Briefly refresh on a baking tray in a low oven before serving.
Zhoug is a Yemeni spice paste made from coriander, cloves, parsley and green chilli. We used the Belazu brand (from Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s). Use it up as a wet rub for meat or stir into rice or couscous for a spicy, fresh flavour.

Experiment and use up ingredients; swap mint for parsley or coriander, use harissa in place of zhoug, add any nuts you have to hand, or use a crumbly goat’s cheese instead of feta.
Make it a fresh French sauvignon blanc for the palmiers, such as a light, lemony Touraine.