Palmera de chocolate. Palmerita de chocolate. A chocolate palm. Whatever you call them, I’ll take two!
I frequent the panaderia (bread shop/bakery) near our apartment. One of the first times I went in, in addition to my bread order, I pointed to the palmeritas (palmeritas are smaller, palm-sized versions of palmeras) and said, “dos chocolate por favor”. The young gal working, who I had happened to tell that I needed to practice my Spanish, said the name of the cookie, twice, and had me repeat it to her, in Spanish. “Palm-ear-ras”, I said, and earned a “muy bein”. I returned home and recounted the story to Phil, “I’m not sure what she said but something like panietta. I guess that makes sense, like small bread?” I have twice been corrected since that time when asking for them. I even sent Phil to get the scoop while I grabbed a bag of coffee from the place next door because I was becoming slightly embarrassed of my inability to get the pronunciation. He was successful and we now have it down. So much so that I ordered a palmera de chocolate today at a coffee shop with wild abandon. It was So. Good.
What the heck is a palmera de chocolate? You have definitely seen them. I had seen them many times (usually without the chocolate) but had never tried them. They are a cookie made of sweet puff pastry, kind of heart shaped with curled up ends (photos below). They are french in origin and I read that some countries just call them “ears”. That sounds less appetizing than palmera but is in fact a more accurate description of what they look like. It’s buttery puff pastry covered in chocolate. That is really all the information you should need.
Fun update; since that first time ordering palmeritas, I have become a regular at our panaderia. The young gal I mentioned even grabs my usual bread order* when she sees me in line and has it ready for me when it’s time to check out!
*contrary to what you may know about me and my intense desire to do so, I do not get palmeritas every time I go to the panaderia.
Jess Barrington: American in Spain 
Already a regular – that’s awesome!
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