This French pastry, also known as “elephant ears”, can be found everywhere in Germany. The tips are usually dipped in chocolate, which I have not seen elsewhere.

Schweineohren sold in German bakeries are much bigger. Mine are a miniature version, so they are more like piglet’s ears. But they taste just like the orginal.

Palmiers (Schweineohren)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Sugar

4 tablespoons apricot jam, strained

3 ounces (100 g) semi-sweet baking chocolate

½ tablespoon butter

1. Place the thawed puff pastry sheet on a clean work surface sprinkled with sugar. Sprinkle the top of the pastry with sugar. Roll out the dough to an even rectangle about 1/8 inch (0.3 mm) thick, making sure it is not so thin that it tears. Turn the pastry sheet over a couple of times as you are rolling it, and sprinkle it with sugar eacht time to prevent it from sticking.

2. Place the pastry sheet with the long end facing you and mark the center. Starting from the short ends, roll up each end to meet in the center. Gently press the rolls together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the pastry has firmed up again.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Using a large sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/3-inch (1 cm) slices. Brush each piece with strained apricot jam all around and sprinkle it with sugar. Place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) part.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet halfway if you notice that the pieces bake unevenly. Transfer the pieces with the parchment paper to a rack and let cool completely.

6. Melt the chocolate with the butter over boiling water bath. Stir until smooth. Dip the tips of each piece in the chocolate and shake gently to let the extra chocolate drip off. Put on the parchment-lined rack and let the chocolate harden completely. Store in airtight containers.

Makes about 15 pieces