Crescent Roll Dough Palmiers

Traditional Palmiers are flaky, buttery cookie-like pastries also known as Elephant Ears or PigTails in some regions. This cheater's method is adapted from a Pillsbury recipe. These are smaller than what you'd find in a bakeries and they taste a little bit different - they are so light and have just a hint of lemon. And these are increbily easy & lightning fast - perfect when you have last minute guests.

• Ready In: 21 mins
• Serves: 24
• Yields: 24 palmiers

Ingredients

• 4 -6  tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemons, zest of
• 1 (8 ounce) can  crescent roll dough (tube)
• 1  egg white, beaten lightly

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
2. Combine 2 Tbsp of the sugar and the lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Sprinkle some of the remaining sugar onto a work surface, enough to dust the area well.
4. Open the dough tube and separate the dough into two rectangular pieces (pressing together any of the triangular perforations so that you have two flat separate rectangles).
5. Roll out each rectangle separately onto the sugared surface to even out the dough.
6. Using a pastry brush, paint the beaten egg across both pieces of dough.
7. If needed, you may use an additional egg white.
8. Sprinkle the sugar/lemon zest mixture you made earlier evenly over each rectangle.
9. Starting with one rectangle of dough, roll up the left and right longest sides of the rectangle (jelly-roll stye) into the center, meeting at the center.
10. With a sharp knife, cut small slices (about 1/4" thick) from the short edge; the cut pieces of dough, when placed flat, should look like almost like a bowtie- with two coils at either side.
11. Place cut side down, so they lie flat, onto greased cookie sheets.
12. Sprinkle lightly with some remaining sugar.
13. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.
14. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets.
15. Set on racks to cool completely.