16 pastry recipes

Sambusak (Sephardic stuffed pastries) with a yeasted anise-scented dough filled with spiced ground beef, deep-fried to golden. A traditional Jewish meat pastry for holidays and gatherings.

Old-fashioned raisin pastries: flaky pie-dough half-moons stuffed with ground raisins, nuts, and citron in a honey-cinnamon-jelly filling. Hand pies for the holiday cookie box.

Miniature nut-filled pastries with a sour cream butter dough wrapped around pecans or walnuts in dark corn syrup. Bite-sized, flaky, and they store beautifully.

Thai mung bean pastries (khanom thuay) with a sweet mung bean flour base topped with coconut-rice flour cream and toasted yellow mung beans. A colorful, no-bake Thai dessert.

Zesty fig and date pastry bars with walnuts, orange juice, and lemon zest on a buttery shortbread crust with a crisscross lattice top. A bright, old-school cookie bar.

Laminated yeast pastries with butter folded through dough, twisted into spirals and filled with cinnamon apples. Overnight fermentation develops rich flavor.

Flaky puff pastry layered with a creamy spinach, green chili, and cream cheese filling. Just 5 ingredients, cut into squares or diamonds for an easy appetizer or snack.

Pecan pie pastry with finely chopped pecans mixed right into the crust dough, blind-baked in the microwave with dried bean weights. A nutty, flaky shell for any pie filling.

Samoosa pastry is the homemade South African version of samosa wrappers, made by stacking oiled and floured dough rounds, par-baking, then peeling into thin sheets. Crisp, flaky pockets ready for any savory filling.

Traditional Sicilian fruit-filled pastries stuffed with figs, dates, chocolate chips, nuts, and warm spices, glazed with a lemon icing. A holiday cookie tray showstopper.

Semolina pastries stuffed with pistachios, cinnamon, and sugar, then dipped in orange flower water and rolled in powdered sugar. A Middle Eastern-style cookie.

Pate sucree (sweet short pastry) made the French way with butter worked by hand into flour, powdered sugar, and eggs. Tender, cookie-like crust for tarts and tartlets that keeps for days.

Very low-fat vegan pastry crust made with soy milk, mashed potatoes, whole wheat flour, and yeast. No butter or oil needed for a soft, pliable dough that rises beautifully.

Spanish seafood empanadillas filled with shrimp, bay scallops, anchovy, peppers, and tomatoes in a flaky lard pastry crust. Baked golden and served warm or at room temperature.

Deep Dish Pear Pie with Cheddar Cheese Pastry recipe

No-egg raisin cake with brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and ginger baked low and slow. A Depression-era pantry cake that's moist, spiced, and surprisingly rich.