Caramel-Lacquered Wafers for Valentine’s Day

Puff (Chronicle Books, 2008), Oregonian food editor Martha Holmberg offers 50 recipes that take full advantage of what she calls “the cook’s secret weapon,” including delicate Caramel-Lacquered Wafers. These heart-shaped cookies capture the spirit of the occasion and are delicious by themselves, or the perfect accompaniment to a rich bowl of ice cream, a creamy mousse, or a luscious pudding.

In French these are called langues de boeuf, meaning beef tongues, which is hardly an appealing way to describe these incredibly delicate, crunchy cookies. They start out like a classic palmier but then get rolled in more powdered sugar until they’re as thin and soft as a piece of chamois. As they bake, the sugar melts into a shiny glaze and the layers of pastry don’t puff, they just crisp. I love to eat them on their own, but they make a fun partner to a bowl of ice cream or any kind of mousse or pudding.

Makes about 44 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as needed
• 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, if using non-butter pastry
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Dust the counter with powdered sugar, lay out the sheet of pastry, dust it with more powdered sugar nd roll, turning frequently and dusting with more sugar each time, until you have an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. (You may notice the dough getting sticky as the sugar pulls moisture from it; just add a little more sugar.
Arrange the rectangle horizontally in front of you. If using non-butter pastry, drizzle the pastry evenly with the melted butter. Mix the granulated sugar with the salt and distribute evenly over the whole surface of the pastry.

Fold both short sides so they meet in the center, then fold their edges again to meet in the center. Fold in half like a book, pressing gently to seal the two sides together. Wrap in plastic and chill for about 20 minutes to firm up.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Dust the work surface with more powdered sugar. Cut the pastry into 1/4-inch slices. With a rolling pin, roll each slice until it’s a long oval, about 1/32 inch thick. As you roll, turn frequently, dusting each side with powdered sugar, aiming to roll as much as possible into the pastry.

Transfer the ovals to the lined baking sheet and bake until the cookies are evenly glazed and deep amber, about 4 minutes. With a spatula (the sugar is very hot), transfer the cookies to a cooling rack; they’ll crisp as they cool.

Do ahead: You can wrap and freeze the rolled “log” of pastry for up to one month, allowing the pastry to thaw only slightly before slicing and baking. If the weather isn’t too humid, you can store these in an airtight container for up to one day.

Photo credit: Puff (Chronicle Books, 2008)