11 Classic Pastries You've Never Heard Of (But Want to Eat Now)
Danishes, scones, pain au chocolat. Ho hum. Kouign Amann? Last year's trend. Cupcakes? Puh-leez. There's a world of unknown-but-awesome classic pastries out there that have faded into obscurity but that bakeries across America are starting to revive—often with newfangled spins. Some are lesser-known European classics, others are regional American specialties, all are delicious, and one might be the next pastry to break through to mainstream success. Who knows? By this time next year, you may be yawning at the Gibassier. What? Come again? Click through our slideshow above to see the contenders.
1/11The French Huguenot Torte
This Southern specialty has a murky and much debated past. Many like to believe it came from gateau aux noisettes (hazelnut cake), which was brought to the New World by the French Huguenots who settled the Charleston area. But it’s more commonly believed to be an adaptation of the Midwestern dessert Ozark Pudding. “I think it is funny that something from the rural hills of Arkansas became the proper-sounding Huguenot Torte when it appeared on the scene here in historic Charleston,” Sugar Bakeshop co-owner Bill Bowick wrote in an email. Whatever the origins, the traditional version served at Sugar is simple and delicious—sort of like pecan pie without the crust, but made with walnuts, tart chopped applies, and a sugary batter. (Credit: Bill Bowick)
2/11The Bostock
Michelle Gayer, the James Beard Award–nominated owner and head baker at Salty Tart Bakery in Minneapolis, puts a refined yet rustic spin on this French breakfast pastry, traditionally made with day-old brioche soaked in orange syrup. Like French toast on steroids, Gayer’s Bostock uses homemade sourdough bread (for a more savory quality) soaked in orange simple syrup, topped with brown butter, fresh fruit like blueberries or peaches, and streusel, and baked until dark crispy brown. (Credit: Michelle Gayer)
3/11The Bienenstich
“I would say it is the best dessert I make,” said Teresa Velazquez of the sweet she’s sold for 10 years at her bakery, Baked & Wired, in Washington, D.C. Traditionally, the Bienenstich—or "bee sting" bar—is a German cake made of sweet yeasty dough, filled with vanilla custard and topped with caramelized almonds. Velazquez's version is a buttery and flaky shortbread bar topped with honey and sliced almonds. The sophisticated, not overly indulgent dessert is the right mix of sweet and salty, and pairs perfectly with the bakery’s expertly made espresso. (Credit: Travis Vaugn)
4/11The Gâteau Basque
Part pie, part cake, the Gâteau Basque, from southwestern France, features a top and bottom layer of rolled dough and a filling of fruit and pastry cream. Pastry chef Sandra Holl, who owns Floriole Café and Bakery, makes a more “cake-like” version with a butter and almond flour batter that's filled with vanilla pastry cream and whatever fruit is in season: fresh cranberries in winter, traditional tart cherries in early summer. The secret is the rum-laced pastry cream that bakes into the layers for one buttery, moist, and slightly boozy treat. (Credit: Sandra Holl)
Boyd Harris5/11The Gooey Butter Cake
This dense, flat cake with a pudding-like topping is a St. Louis tradition that is believed to have originated in the 1930s. Inspired by a former roommate who made it from a boxed mix, San Diego baker Elizabeth Harris created a recipe from scratch and now serves a berry-topped version at her bakery, Elizabethan Desserts. Her homespun American dessert is basically a yellow cake batter, made with flour, butter, eggs, and sugar—but she slathers on Philadelphia cream cheese before baking, which makes for pure magic. (Credit: Boyd Harris)
6/11The Bakewell Tart
Is it a tart or a pudding? In England, where it originated, the debate rages on, but whatever it is, this confection is one of the UK’s greatest contributions to the baking world. Reportedly invented by accident at the White Horse Inn in 1820, the Bakewell is typically a shortcrust pastry filled with frangipane and jam, although some versions include a fondant filling and maraschino cherries. At Proof Bakery in Los Angeles, baker Na Young Ma is elevating the tea-time treat with a rich and crumbly shortbread-like crust, topped with a thin layer of figs, poached pears, or plum thyme jam, followed by the frangipane and a thinly sliced almonds. (Credit: Courtesy Proof Bakery)
7/11The Gibassier
This bready pastry shaped like a fleur de lis originated in Provence and is made with a healthy dose of olive oil, orange-blossom water, and anise seed. Portland’s Pearl Bakery is one of the few places in America where you can find this delicate sweet bread, which one of the former head bakers discovered while competing in the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie and which the bakery now serves the traditional way, lightly dusted with sugar. (Credit: Courtesy Pearl Bakery)
Oddur Thorisson8/11The Gougère
If you read Bon Appétit, you already know we love gougères, the sophisticated Burgundian version of cheese puffs. This November, however, San Francisco's Tartine Bakery will be debuting a savory and sweet version using dark rye flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and Comté or gruyère cheese. Look for the recipe in the bakery's forthcoming cookbook, Tartine Book No. 3.
9/11The Bomboloni
While Italy’s pastries may not be as famous as those of neighboring France (and, for that matter, Austria), bomboloni—Italy’s answer to the jelly doughnut, filled with jam, chocolate, or Italian cream—may be gaining steam. After falling in love with the treats on a trip to Florence (they're extremely popular in Tuscany), the owners of Levain Bakery in New York decided to create their own, smaller version called “bomboloncini," with a simple, almost ciabatta-like dough and filled with seedless raspberry jam. (Credit: Courtesy Levain Bakery)
10/11The Verrine
Europeans often serve this French confection, made by layering sweet or savory ingredients in a small glass, as an appetizer or light dessert. At his San Francisco bakery Craftsman and Wolves, chef William Werner wanted to “bring that back to life with a modern aesthetic.” At about five to six bites each, the sweet and savory verrines may be small, but they deliver a big punch. Seasonal flavors include house ricotta, fried chickpeas tossed in lime zest, piment d'espelette, and a drizzle of rooftop-raised honey and vinegar, and a passionfruit panna cotta version topped with an espresso crumble and a black tea madeleine. “It’s never the same bite twice,” says Werner. (Credit: Antoinette Bruno)
11/11Gulab Jamun
Indian desserts have yet to garner widespread appeal, but the country has a strong love of sweets and pastries. At Pondicheri in Houston, chef Anita Jaisinghani is exploring new territory by combining French baking techniques with Indian spices and flavors. Her take on Gulab Jamun, the sweet Indian dumpling soaked in rose syrup, is a lighter spiced doughnut dipped in rose cardamom syrup then rolled in white and black poppy seeds, pistachios, and finely chopped rose petals. (Credit: Sophia Malik)
