Make Elephant Ears
Also known as doughboys, fried doughs, palmiers, and frying saucers, elephant ears are easy to make and customize. They also are remarkably different across the globe, from the fried, flat versions of American fairgrounds to the delicate pastry cookies, known as palmiers, found in French bakeries. Both, however, are elephant ears. And both are delicious.
Contents
Ingredients
Fairground Elephant Ears
- 1-1/2 cups of milk
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, shortening or margarine
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose/plain flour
- Sufficient vegetable oil for frying, roughly 1 quart
- Cinnamon sugar, to taste
Palmiers
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 Sheet defrosted puff pastry or pie dough (Pillsbury, Pepperidge Farm, homemade etc.)
- One egg, beaten.
Steps
Fair-Style Elephant Ears
- Warm 1-1/2 cups of milk on medium heat in a saucepan. You don't want the milk to bubble or scald, so simply warm it up slightly before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the sugar, salt, and shortening/butter and mix until everything is dissolved together. Mix in {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of sugar, 6 of your shortening/butter, and 1 teaspoon of sugar with the milk. You want one smooth, consistent liquid. Once there are no chunks of shortening left, take it off the heat.
- You can melt the shortening faster if you chop the butter/shortening into small pieces before adding it.
- Set the mixture aside to cool until it is warm, not hot. You want it to be warm to the touch, but not hot. It should be roughly 110℉. This promotes yeast growth without killing it. When in doubt, remember that if it is too hot for you, it is too hot for the yeast. Similarly, if you wouldn't enjoy a nice warm bath in it, neither will the yeast.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of active yeast and let it set for 10-15 minutes. The top will be foaming and frothing as the yeast grow and produce carbon dioxide. If you have no bubbles or frothing than your yeast has died, and you'll have to start over.
- Slowly add the 4 cups of flour and stir into a dough. A cup at a time, add the flour and mix the batter with a dough hook, wooden spoon, or your hands until it is a nice, firm dough ball.
- Knead the dough until it is a smooth, spongy consistency. Kneading may seem complex, but it is simply a way of mixing the ingredients and toughening up the dough for cooking. Take the dough ball and pull one side up, folding it onto the top of the dough ball, and then push down into the fold with the heel of your hand. Turn the dough a quarter turn either direction, pull up another side, press with your hand, and repeat. You should knead for 2-3 minutes.
- When done, your dough should be spongy but consistent, holding its shape without being too tough to press.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 30 minutes. Put the dough in a metal, nonstick bowl. Use a damp cloth or a piece of plastic wrap to cover the top and put the dough in a warm, dry place for 30 minutes. This allows the yeast to do their job. When you are done, the dough should be roughly twice as big as normal.
- If you cannot cook the dough in 30 minutes, you can place it in the refrigerator to rise instead, where it will take roughly 2 hours.
- Cut the dough into equal parts. The bigger you want your ears, the bigger the dough will have to be. Start with four equal parts, using a sharp knife to cut your dough into 4 even pieces in the middle.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the pieces individually on a lightly floured surface. You want quarter inch thick "ears" so that they fry quickly and evenly. You can use your hands to stretch them into elephant ear shapes if you like, but try and keep them at an equal thickness the whole way through. The flour will keep the ears from sticking, so add a pinch to the pin and the countertop before you begin.
- If it is hot or humid out, chill the dough for 15-20 minutes before working with it, as it will be easier to maneuver when cold.
- Heat up the oil to 365℉ in a large, heavy skillet or deep-fryer. The oil has to be hot enough to cook the outsides of the ear quickly, but not so hot that the outsides burn before the insides are cooked. If you do not have a high-heat thermometer, heat the oil on medium-high for 3-5 minutes and drop a small 1x1" test piece into the oil. It should cook in 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Gently cook both sides of the ears for 1-2 minutes a piece. The outside should be a gentle golden brown and the inside lightly flaky. When in doubt, try out a smaller test ear before frying the whole thing.
- Remove from the oil with tongues and pat it dry with paper towels. It is easiest to have a small plate next to the oven already covered with paper towels. Drop the ear onto the plate to drain any excess oil, then flip it when it is cool enough to touch.
- Sprinkle the tops liberally with cinnamon sugar. If you don't have cinnamon sugar, whisk together {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} powdered cinnamon with {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} sugar to make your own. Other fun toppings include:
- Jelly or jam
- Powdered sugar
- Nutella
- Chocolate sauce
- Fresh fruit
Making Palmiers, French Elephant Ear Pastries
- Remove your puff pastry from the fridge or freezer and begin working immediately. You do not want to work with warm or room temperature dough. You can use store-bought dough, including pie crusts or biscuits dough in a pinch, or you can make your own puff pastry dough at home for the best results.
- Sprinkle a generous coating of cinnamon sugar on the rolling surface. Usually you use flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface, but a flour coating will make the palmiers heavy and unappetizing. Instead, mix {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of cinnamon and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl, then use roughly half on your counter top.
- Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch thickness. You want a big, rectangular piece of dough to make your pastries with. The back side of the pastry will be coated in cinnamon sugar after you've rolled it out.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the top side in egg wash. An egg wash is simply a cracked egg whisked together so that the yolk and white are combined. Use a brush to lightly coat the top of the pastry sheet in egg, as this helps it stick together and provides richness to the finished cookie. Leave a little bit of egg wash for later.
- Generously sprinkle the top of the pastry dough with the remaining half of cinnamon sugar. Coat the top with the remaining mixture, which should stick naturally to the egg wash.
- Roll up one-half of the pastry towards the middle. Keep the roll as tight as possible for the most attractive final results. You do not, however, want to press or mash the pastry. A nice tight roll, like you making a scroll, is the goal.
- Roll up the other side until the two rolls meet in the middle. The finished pastry will look like a classic scroll, with two tight rolls meeting in the middle. Lightly press them together and coat the top with any remaining egg wash.
- Roll the whole thing in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. The dough needs to be chilled right before it goes into the oven, so do not skip this step. The tighter you can get it while still keeping your two rolls circular the better your cookies will look in the end.
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF while the dough chills. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner to prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan when they come out. Because the sugar in the ears will caramelize and harden as they cook, you cannot skip the parchment paper.
- Remove the roll and cut it into 3/4-inch slices. You want to cut perpendicular to the roll, so you get identical slices with each cut. Cut down the pastry roll to make small, individual cookies, each with the definitive double rolls, and place the final pastry, cut side down, on your parchment paper. As soon as you're done, get the pasties in the oven.
- You may want to cut off the ends first if they are uneven or misshapen, though they will still taste great.
- Cook the pastries for 4-5 minutes on one side, or until golden brown, then flip them. Keep your eye on the cookies as they bake and flip them once they turn golden brown. The final side should take much less time, usually only 2-3 minutes. Remove, transfer to a wire baking rack to cool, and enjoy!
- Try out some variations on the recipe. There is a variety of changes you can make to elephant ears, as they are a simple recipe with a lot of customization, but some to try include:
- Skip the sugar and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese for a savory recipe.
- Dip half the ear in melted chocolate soon after removing from the oven and let the chocolate harden on the outside.
- Add a pinch of orange zest, cardamom, chai spice, and/or vanilla extract to the cinnamon sugar mix for a spiced ear.
Tips
- You can easily hack the "from scratch" version by skipping making the puff pastry and simply buying it pre-made! Just follow the steps from the point of taking the pastry out of the refrigerator.
Warnings
- Always take great care when frying with hot oil. Use proper tools to keep your hands out of the oil, stay away from any spattering and wear mitts to protect your hands. Keep children and pets away from the cooking zone.
Things You'll Need
- Mixing bowls
- Mixing implement
- Tongs
- Baking sheet or dish
- Parchment paper or silicone sheet (Silpat)
- Oven or stove-top
