Spread a layer of sugar on your rolling surface. Sprinkling dough with more sugar as you roll it into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Fold bottom up to middle, and top down to cover it, as though folding a business letter.

Turn pastry so top flap of dough is to your right, roll again to make a rectangle 3/8 inch thick, and fold again in three. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, then continue. Roll the dough out 8 inches long, then give it a quarter turn so the 8-inch length is facing you. Keeping the dough 8 inches wide, and rolling it to whatever lengh it will go to make a square or rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Trim off rough edges.

Fold sides so they almost touch at the center. Sprinkle top of dough with sugar and blend it into the pastry with your rolling pin, at the same time pressing the top and bottom layers of dough together with the pin.

Fold pastry in two, as though closing a book. Press with your rolling pin, to hold the 4 layers more closely together.

With a sharp kniife, cut dough into crosswise pieces 3/8 inch thick.

Depending on what effect you wish either bend the 2 ends up at right angles; or roll them halfway up the outside; or roll them up inside, so that they form two connecting swirls ("Elephant Ears"). Place on baking sheet, each palmier 3 inches from neighbor in every direction-they will spread out to more than double in the oven.

Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake in middle of oven for about 6 to 8 minutes or until bottom of cookie has begun to caramelize.