38 pastry dough recipes

Italian pastry puffs with lemon-scented biscotti dough wrapped around silky vanilla-almond pastry cream. Baked in a cupcake pan until golden, these old-school treats are worth every minute.

Persian lentil-filled pastries with rose water and cardamom dough deep-fried until golden and puffed for an aromatic vegetarian snack.

Hasenoehrle: traditional German "bunny ears" fried dough dusted with cinnamon sugar. A crispy, rustic Fastnacht pastry made from a simple egg-and-milk noodle dough.

Homemade Danish pastry wreath with layers of buttery laminated dough, almond filling, and candied cherries. A holiday baking project that rewards patience with flaky, golden results.

Easy homemade pie crust with a vinegar-and-egg dough that stays flaky and tender. Uses both margarine and shortening for a workable pastry that rolls out without cracking.

Norwegian kringla cookies shaped into figure-eights with a tender buttermilk dough. Chilled overnight, baked fast at high heat for a light, slightly sweet pastry.

Versatile Czech kolace dough made like pie crust with shortening, egg yolks, and yeast. Chills overnight, then rolls out on powdered sugar for filled pastries in any shape.

Marble scones with swirls of vanilla and chocolate dough folded together, made with buttermilk and real butter. A beautiful, flaky breakfast pastry with two-tone appeal.

Special lard-based pastry dough for tourtieres (French-Canadian meat pies). A flaky, tender crust that rolls out easily and handles beautifully. Makes enough for multiple pies.

Flaky, buttery pastry triangles filled with jam and kissed with orange zest. A classic Austrian cookie that uses hard-cooked egg yolks for an impossibly tender dough.

Old-fashioned shortening pie crust with just four ingredients. This no-fuss pastry dough cuts together fast, rolls out easy, and bakes up tender and flaky every time.

Deep-fried choux pastry bites with pecans and maple extract, tossed in powdered sugar. A crispy, nutty treat using classic pate a choux dough ready in 15 minutes.

Nancy's ice cream kolacky: a three-ingredient Eastern European-style cookie where vanilla ice cream replaces liquid and eggs, creating a tender pastry dough filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar. A Christmas cookie-tray favorite.

Cream cheese roll: a tender sour-cream yeast dough rolled around cream cheese filling, snipped into a braided pattern, and baked golden. A brunch-ready pastry for any occasion.

New Orleans-style French Market beignets: pillowy yeast-raised squares fried golden and buried in powdered sugar. Mix the dough the night before for fluffier, easier-to-handle pastries.

Greek honey bread from the island of Sifnos with ricotta cheese, eggs, cinnamon, and three cups of honey baked in a dough-lined pan. A traditional Cycladic sweet pastry cut in diamond shapes.