Holiday Pastries to Brighten Up the Jolly Season

What do we love most about the holidays? Is it the time spent with family, the festive atmosphere, or the chance to stuff our faces with delicious food? Is it the shopping, the gifting, or the feeling you get when you receive the perfect gift from someone you love?

We’d venture to say it’s a combination of all of these things and more. Getting to take a break from work or school and surround ourselves with the people we love is priceless, and we can count on it just about every year. The coffee shop’s special peppermint mocha, the holiday music in the air, and all of the decorations put everyone in such a good mood.

And then there’s the food.

There are so many delicious treats to enjoy during the holidays, it’s impossible to try them all. From the cookies to the cakes, the chocolate, and the candy — everything gets us in the cheery holiday spirit. And for anyone who craves and enjoys preparing holiday pastries, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a little list of recipes for some of the best holiday pastries to serve this holiday season.

Why Makes Pastries So Wonderful?

Before we get into it, it’s important to understand some of the basics when it comes to preparing Christmas pastries — or any type of pastry for that matter. For starters, let’s chat about flour. All-purpose flour is most commonly used in holiday baking, but you might be surprised to know that there are different types of all-purpose flour. The two main types are bleached and unbleached, and they can actually make a big difference in your final product. Bleached flour is treated with chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide, which bleaches the flour and gives it a finer texture. Unbleached flour is less processed and has a more natural yellowish color.

In general, you’ll want to use unbleached flour when baking cakes, cookies, pastries, quick breads, and pancakes because it results in a more tender final product. Bleached flour, on the other hand, is better for pies because it produces a flakier crust.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on to butter. Butter is an essential ingredient in just about all holiday baking, and it’s important to use the right kind. When a recipe calls for unsalted butter, that means you should use butter that doesn’t have any salt added to it. Salted butter, on the other hand, is butter that has salt added to it — typically about 1/4 teaspoon per stick.

So, what’s the difference? Basically, it comes down to personal preference and what you’re baking. If you’re baking something sweet, like a cake or cookies, you’ll probably want to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the final product. If you’re baking something savory, like a quiche or savory tart, salted butter is perfectly fine to use.

A final note on butter — make sure it’s at room temperature before you start baking. Room-temperature butter is softer and easier to work with, which will make it much easier to incorporate into your dough or batter.

Snowball Cookies

These cookies are also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, and they’re a classic holiday treat. They’re made with pecans, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and they’re rolled in more powdered sugar after they’re baked. They’re sweet, crumbly, and totally delicious.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pecans, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Mix in pecans and vanilla extract.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Apple Strudel

This classic German pastry is made with a flaky dough, fresh apples, raisins, cinnamon, and sugar. It’s usually served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Ingredients:
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry dough into a 12-inch square.
3. Brush dough with melted butter.
4. In a large bowl, mix together apples, raisins, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
5. Spread the mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
6. Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

Linzer Torte

This tasty Austrian torte is made with a hazelnut-almond dough and filled with raspberry jam. It’s traditionally made with a lattice top, but you can also make it with a solid top.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 cup raspberry jam

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together hazelnuts, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Press two-thirds of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread raspberry jam over the dough.
6. Roll the remaining dough into a 1/4-inch thick sheet. Cut into strips and place over the jam in a lattice pattern.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy!

Nun’s Puffs

These delectable French pastries are made with choux dough and filled with vanilla pastry cream. They’re usually dusted with powdered sugar, but you can also dip them in chocolate. For a sweet and decadent holiday treat, give these a shot!

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 recipe of vanilla pastry cream

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil over medium heat.
3. Add flour and stir until the mixture forms a ball.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
5. Mix in eggs, one at a time, until the dough is smooth.
6. Mix in salt.
7. Pipe dough into 1-inch balls on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffs are golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting a small hole in the top of each puff.
10. Fill with vanilla pastry cream and serve. Enjoy!

Pannekoek

This yummy Dutch treat is made with a yeast-risen pancake batter and is usually served for holiday breakfast or brunch. It can be filled with any number of things, from fruit to bacon and eggs.

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Pour batter into a 9-inch cake pan or skillet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Roze Koek

This colorful and delightful Dutch treat is made with almond paste and raspberry jam. It’s just the things for a holiday gathering, a Christmas cocktail party, or any special occasion!

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Press dough into the prepared pan. Spread raspberry jam over the top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy!

Get Baking This Holiday Season!

The holidays are a time to really go out, whether you’re decorating your home or whipping up treats in the kitchen. There are so many great pastries out there to try, and no better time to give them a taste than the jolly season. These are just a few holiday pastry recipes that we’ve whipped up to get you started, but if you have your own favorite pastries you like to make during Christmastime, let us know! So get baking this holiday season and enjoy some delicious treats with your friends and family. Happy holidays!

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