National Croissant Day

National Croissant Day is on January 30th in the United States.

The croissant is a type of crescent-shaped pastry that is inextricably linked with France, who made this particular pastry the most famous. The croissant is a buttery and flaky Vienna-style pastry. It may come as no surprise after that that the ancestors of the croissant are documented in Austria. Going back as far as the thirteenth century, the kipferl, an ancestor of the croissant, is referenced to in Austria.

The croissant is a popular breakfast item made from yeast leavened dough and butter. It is usually served hot. The croissant itself dates back to the nineteenth century to a Viennese bakery founded in Paris by an Austrian artillery officer. The croissant, whose name means crescent, was inspired by the Viennese kipferl being sold.

Croissants may be eaten plain, although often with butter, but they can also be stuffed, such as in the pain aux raisins and the pan au chocolate, which contain raisins and chocolate respectively. They can also be stuffed with items such as ham and cheese, which is popular in the US.

National Pastry Day

December 9th is National Pastry Day in the US.

This is a celebration of the base material, pastry, rather than the various small, sweet products known as pastries.

Pastry is a simple, yet versatile, product. It dates back to the ancient Mediterranean, making it comparatively recent compared to baked products such as bread. At its simplest, pastry is simply flour, water and a shortening agent such as butter. There are other ingredients that can be added to it as well, such as other shortening agents (like oil) eggs, milk and sugar.

Different types of pastry use different ingredients, but it is what is done with the pastry that often defines whether it is a sweet or savoury dish. The same pastry can be used in both; both puff and shortcrust pastry, the latter being the most common type, are used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It's what is made with the pastry that makes the difference.

There are other types of pastry available. For those who wish to bake at home, but don't want to go through the hassle of making their own pastry, pre-made pastry can be purchased in a variety of forms, from pie shells to sheets to blocks.

National Baklava Day

National Baklava Day is on November 17th in the United States.

The name baklava comes from an Ottoman Turkish word and is used to refer to a type of sweet pastry common in the Middle East, especially in countries that were formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. They may predate the Ottoman Empire, but this is not known for certain one way or another. There are similar products that are older.

Baklavas are made from layers of filo pastry that are filled with chopped nuts. This is then sweetened with either honey or syrup, resulting in quite a sticky end product. Different types of chopped nuts are used to make this, and they can simply have one layer of chopped nuts, which is usually on the top of the pastry, or many, which are interspersed between multiple layers of pastry.