Pastries Recipes

Intro

This collection spotlights pastries, viennoiserie, and French-inspired pâtisserie you can master at home—think enriched brioche buns, crisp palmiers, glossy macarons, and showy choux creations. You’ll find bakery results with home-kitchen workflow: overnight proofs, freezer-friendly doughs, and finishing tips for shine and snap. Whether you’re planning a brunch tray, afternoon tea, or a dessert table, use Quick Picks for crowd-pleasers, the Make-Ahead & Storage chart to time your bakes, and Compare Popular Options to choose recipes by time, skill level, and holding quality.

Quick Picks

• Bakery star: These Almond Cream Brioche Buns Taste Better Than a French Bakery
• Five-minute lamination: Palmiers à la Cannelle
• Classic macs: Pierre Hermé Lemon Macaron
• Crème brûlée twist: Creme Brulee Custard Pudding Brioche Buns ✨
• Café treat: Pecan Chocolate Tigres with Salted Caramel Filling

Make-Ahead & Storage

Item	Fridge	Freezer	Reheat/Serve Tips
Almond Cream Brioche Buns	2 days	1–2 months (unbaked, shaped)	Proof overnight in fridge; bake from chilled, dust with icing sugar.
Cardamom Buns at Home	2–3 days	1–2 months (unbaked)	Freeze after shaping; glaze warm buns for sheen.
Palmiers à la Cannelle	3–4 days airtight	2 months (unbaked)	Bake from frozen at high heat; cool on rack for crispness.
Creme Brulee Custard Pudding Brioche ✨	2 days	Not ideal filled	Torch sugar just before serving for crackly top.
Pierre Hermé Lemon Macaron	3–4 days (filled)	Shells 2 months	Mature 12–24 h; serve slightly cool for best texture.
Pecan Chocolate Tigres with Salted Caramel	3–4 days	2 months (unfilled)	Warm 10–15 sec to soften crumb; fill day of serving.

Compare Popular Options

Dish/Item	Time	Skill	Make-ahead	Best with / Notes
Almond Cream Brioche Buns	2 h+ (incl. proof)	Intermediate	★★★★☆	Crowd-pleaser; almond crunch + soft crumb.
Cardamom Buns	2–2.5 h	Intermediate	★★★★☆	Overnight cold proof improves flavour.
Palmiers (Puff)	30–40 min	Easy	★★★★★	Minimal hands-on; super freezer-friendly.
Lemon Macarons	2–3 h	Advanced	★★★★★	Age filled shells; sharp curd balances sweetness.
Crème Brûlée Brioche	2 h	Intermediate	★★★☆☆	Torch to order for caramel glass.
Pecan Chocolate Tigres	50–70 min	Easy	★★★★☆	Moist almond-choc cakes; fill with salted caramel.

Techniques That Matter

• Cold dough, hot oven: Keep laminated doughs chilled; bake at higher heat for lift and layers.
• Proof control: For enriched doughs, proof until just doubled; under- or over-proofing hurts oven spring.
• Macaron maturity: Dry shells to the touch before baking; fill and rest 12–24 h for perfect chew.
• Moisture barriers: Brush tart/shell bases with cocoa butter or chocolate to prevent sog.
• Shine & finish: Warm apricot nappage for fruit, light syrup for brioche, and precise torching for brûlée.
• Weigh, don’t guess: Pastry is ratios—use grams and an instant-read thermometer where noted.

Common Mistakes & Fixes

• Flat brioche → Butter too warm; keep dough cool and develop gluten fully.
• Soggy bottoms → Under-baked or unsealed layers; bake longer and cool on a rack.
• Hollow macarons → Oven too hot/short drying; lower temp and extend drying time.
• Leaking fillings → Cool curds/ganache fully; pipe a buttercream “dam” if needed.
• Chewy, not crisp palmiers → Sugar didn’t caramelise; bake on a hot tray and let cool uncovered.

Serving Ideas / Planner’s Notes

• Brunch board: 1 sweet + 1 spiced bun + 1 crisp pastry per person with fresh fruit.
• Textures matter: pair crisp palmiers with creamy elements (custard, yoghurt).
• Temperature: serve brioche slightly warm; macarons slightly cool; palmiers at room temp.
• Finishing touches: icing sugar, citrus zest, warm nappage, or a drizzle of salted caramel.
• Storage flow: bake-freeze in batches; refresh 3–5 min at 160–170 °C to revive.

Featured Links

For show-stoppers, try the elegant Choux Tart with Pecan Cream, Vanilla Ganache & Caramel. Love macarons? Rotate flavours with Macaron Infiniment Pistache or a floral twist in Macaron Infiniment Rose.