Today, December 9, is National Pastry Day, and a Monday feels like the perfect day for a sweet pick-me-up. I, personally, love a national food holiday for that exact reason: An excuse to dive into something extra delicious that I maybe haven’t thought of in a bit. (National Hot Dog Day: Absolutely. National Piña Colada Day: Let’s go.)
As you start to think about your selection, it’s all of a sudden tricky. When people refer to “pastries” they’re often referring to many parts of a whole—pastries are these baked goods, but not all of these baked goods are pastries. A chocolate chip cookie? Not a pastry. But the concha, a Mexican cookie-topped-bread? Absolutely is a pastry. So, what *is* a pastry and what makes it different from any other baked good?
What is a pastry?
A pastry is a baking confection made with a type of dough that is flaky, or laminated, as a technique result. Sometimes these doughs are enriched (which simply means they have extra additions of egg, milk, or other dairy products), and some have leaveners. It stems from the French word pâtisserie—pâte means dough—which, if you watch The Great British Bake Off, you’re pretty familiar with already. Pâtisserie originally included all flaky baked items, including savory things like a pot pie, but more commonly in modern times they’re referring to the sweeter side of things.
The five types of pastry doughs include:
- Shortcrust: Typically found as the bottom (or base) of a pie, tart, or quiche, has a 2:1 ratio of fat to flour, meaning this is a super rich dough, which helps contribute to it’s “short” or crumbly texture. A sweetened version is usually found in spritz cookies.
- Flaky: Flaky, or ‘rough puff’, uses a technique of quickly adding cold shortening or butter chunks to dough to create pockets of fat that will expand when baked, and result in those beautiful air pockets you see in a flaky pastry. This dough is usually found in things like turnovers and hand pies.
- Filo: One of the more technical of the pastry doughs, filo involves stretching dough into the thinnest of sheets, and then brushing melted butter or oil in between each layer of dough to form a pastry that is incredibly flaky and light. Spanikopita and baklava are two classic examples.
- Choux: Pâte à choux is a classic French pastry that, instead of using a leavener like baking soda or yeast, incorporates the technique of steaming. Adding a mix of melted butter and water into the dough, as the pastry bakes, the water “cooks off” or turns into steam, creating a puffed effect. Eclairs, churros, and cream puffs are hallmark choux pastry recipes.
- Puff: More technically-advanced than rough puff (flaky) pastry, the base dough is only make with flour and water, and then is further enriched by encasing butter sheets in between the dough layers using a rolling pin. Modern puff has a French connection, but there are instances of puff pastry that extend back to a Spanish cookbook from 1607 titled Libro del arte de cozina, and was also mentioned in a document in the Diocese of Amiens in 1311. Croissants, Napoleons, and even pigs in a blanket are some well-known puff pastry recipes. Julia Child’s puff pastry recipe famously has anywhere from 648 to 729 layers. Talk about flaky.
Feeling inspired? Try these 5 pastry recipes
1. Homemade Eclairs from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Utilizing the choux pastry, homemade eclairs are one of the most straight-forward and delicious pastries you can make. The best part? You get to choose what you fill them with: whipped cream, pudding, jam, and more. This step-by-step guide is the perfect introduction to pastry-making.
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2. Gluten-Free Apple Tart from Cookie + Kate
We just moved out of peak apple season, so if you’re craving another apple treat that *isn’t* a donut or spiked cider, this tart is perfect for you. It’s gluten-free, so it’s great for you or your pals who need a tasty option on the dessert table this holiday season. If you’re going for something more seasonal, try swapping out the apple for pears or quince.
3. Puff Pastry Almond Croissants from How Sweet Eats
Traditional croissants take literal days to make. Between making the dough, and folding, folding, and folding again to make sure all the butter is fully tucked into the dough without peeking out, which leads to fewer flaky layers, it’s a multi-day affair. If you don’t have, or don’t want to have, the time for that, this almond croissant shortcut from How Sweet Eats utilizes store-bought rough puff and just a little bit of elbow grease to have a finished product in an hour.
Get this croissant recipe here
4. Vegan Berry Hand Pies (“Pop Tarts”) from Minimalist Baker
One of the hardest things to do in pastry is to “vegan-ize” something. Since the method relies on the fat of the butter to leaven and create layers, it can be tricky to pull off with a non-dairy substitute. These vegan hand pies (yep, Pop Tarts are hand pies!) totally do the trick. Made with a butter substitute and with a simple filling of fruit compote—but again, you could fill them with really anything—are flaky, and perfectly hand-sized.
5. Spinach Puffs from Well Plated
If you’re not a sweet tooth but still want to celebrate, these spinach puffs are not only a great option for today, but a great back pocket recipe for the holiday season, if you’re hosting, or need to provide an appetizer at your work’s holiday soirée.
Get this spinach puff recipe here
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