config.clj

(defn config-files
  [request properties]
  (let [config-dir (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :config-dir])
        owner (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :owner])
        group (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :group])]
    (doseq [[filename props] properties]
      (->
       request
       (remote-file/remote-file
        (format "%s/%s.xml" config-dir (name filename))
        :content (properties->xml props)
        :owner owner :group group)))))


;;new version
(defn config-files
  [request properties]
  (let [config-dir (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :config-dir])
        owner (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :owner])
        group (parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :group])]
    ((apply comp (for [[filename props] properties]
                   (phase
                    (remote-file/remote-file
                     (format "%s/%s.xml" config-dir (name filename))
                     :content (properties->xml props)
                     :owner owner :group group))))
     request)))

Another possibility (though I like the use of comp):

(defn config-files
[request properties](let [config-dir %28parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :config-dir]%29
owner %28parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :owner]%29
group %28parameter/get-for-target request [:hadoop :group]%29]
%28->
request
%28pallet.thread-expr/for-> [[filename props] properties]
%28remote-file/remote-file
%28format "%s/%s.xml" config-dir %28name filename))
:content (properties->xml props)
:owner owner :group group)))))

ah, that's nice! Looks like I need to get a bit more familiar with the pallet source, moving forward with this project :)