24 Portuguese laminated pastries
Doughs folded, rolled or stretched into fine sheets and baked until light and crisp.
Portuguese flaky pastries do not all use the same technique. Some alternate dough and fat through repeated folds; others, such as Pastéis de Tentúgal, depend on a sheet stretched until nearly transparent. The result may be pillow-shaped, rolled, triangular or stacked in layers.
Fillings range across the national repertoire: egg sweet, almonds, squash preserve, beans and aromatic creams. Travesseiros, Pastéis de Tentúgal, jesuítas and Pastéis de Vouzela show four very different ways to combine thin dough, heat and filling.
Four ways into the family
Portuguese icon Travesseiro de Sintra
A golden, crisp puff-pastry 'pillow' with an egg-and-almond cream filling.
Sintra
Portuguese icon Pastel de Tentúgal
An almost-transparent, shatteringly crisp pastry filled with egg sweet — a feat of hand.
The Centre
Portuguese icon Jesuíta
A triangle of puff pastry and egg cream beneath a cloak of white icing.
The North
Portuguese icon Pastel de Vouzela
A wafer-thin, crackling pastry of egg cream, folded by hand in Vouzela.
The Centre24 Portuguese laminated pastries
Open each record for origin, ingredients, flavour, history, variations, season, where to try it and sources.
Portuguese icon Northern Portuguese Bispo Pastry
A puff-pastry slab beneath three toasted ridges of egg and coconut.
The North
Portuguese icon Gondomar Heart Pastry
A puff-pastry heart of pumpkin, walnut and egg creams inspired by Gondomar filigree.
The North
Portuguese icon Portuguese Disco Puff Pastry
A puff-pastry cylinder with sweet egg cream, royal icing and one almond.
The North
Portuguese icon Portuguese Glória Puff-Pastry Ring
A tall puff-pastry ring dipped in egg cream and sealed with a translucent sugar glaze.
The North Portuguese icon Jesuíta
A triangle of puff pastry and egg cream beneath a cloak of white icing.
The North
Portuguese icon Santo Tirso Limonete
A puff-pastry cup with aromatic cream and its unmistakable icing cross.
The North
Portuguese icon Gondomar Mimo D’Ouro
A Gondomar puff pastry combining walnut cake with aromatic turnip preserve.
The North
Portuguese icon Régua Régula Puff Pastries
Long puff pastry with ovos-moles, hazelnut and Port, created to celebrate the city.
The North
Portuguese icon Guimarães Rolls
The flaky half-moon the nuns of Santa Clara bequeathed to Guimarães.
The North
Portuguese icon Aguiar Chestnut Pastry
A small round flaky pastry filled with rustic chestnut cream.
Trás-os-Montes
Portuguese icon Bragança Chestnut Burr Pastries
Trás-os-Montes chestnut paste enclosed in wafer-thin pastry that closes into crisp points.
Trás-os-Montes
Portuguese icon Pastel Brigantino
Bragança's signature pastry, made with chestnut, almond, Montesinho honey and olive oil.
Trás-os-Montes
Portuguese icon Sweet Pastel de Chaves
The flaky half-moon of Chaves, this time with a sweet filling.
Trás-os-Montes
Portuguese icon Peniche Puff-Pastry Bones
Little golden puff-pastry bones buried under icing sugar.
The Centre
Portuguese icon Albergaria Pastry
Paper-thin pastry folded like a parcel around egg, almond and strands of gila.
The Centre
Portuguese icon Viseu Bean Pastry
A scalloped oval pastry with a moist white-bean and yolk filling.
The Centre Portuguese icon Pastel de Tentúgal
An almost-transparent, shatteringly crisp pastry filled with egg sweet — a feat of hand.
The Centre Portuguese icon Pastel de Vouzela
A wafer-thin, crackling pastry of egg cream, folded by hand in Vouzela.
The Centre
Portuguese icon Castro Daire Sweet Trout Pastries
Puff-pastry trout with a heart of pumpkin and strands of gila squash.
The Centre
Portuguese icon Nazaré Sweet Sardines
The fish that Nazaré turned into a sweet.
The West
Portuguese icon Cruz Alta Pastry
Crisp puff pastry around egg cream, almond and white bean.
Sintra Portuguese icon Travesseiro de Sintra
A golden, crisp puff-pastry 'pillow' with an egg-and-almond cream filling.
Sintra
Portuguese icon Costa da Caparica Claudino
Costa da Caparica’s long puff pastry, caramelised outside and joined with pastry cream.
Lisbon
Portuguese icon Vidigueira Layered Cakes
Yeasted dough rolled into thin layers, baked as spirals and sugared while still hot.
The Alentejo
Portuguese icon Aljezur Sweet-Potato Pillows
A long pillow of crisp pastry leaves wrapped around Aljezur sweet potato.
The Algarve
Portuguese icon Loulé Puff Pastry
One Loulé folhado, they say, and you're happy for the rest of the week.
The Algarve
Portuguese icon Tavira Puff Pastries
Strips of puff pastry coiled and bathed in syrup — a convent sweet that Tavira never let slip away.
The Algarve
Portuguese icon São Jorge Spice Pastries
The fragrant horseshoe that holds the spices of the Age of Discovery.
The Azores
Portuguese icon Portuguese Gila Allumette
A matchstick of puff pastry, gila and cream beneath diamond-scored white icing.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Puff-Pastry Almofada
Two square puff-pastry slabs hold white cream, egg sweet and a snowfall of sugar.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Butterfly Palmier
Four flaky wings hold egg-yolk cream beneath icing sugar.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Glazed Brisa Puff Pastry
A low puff-pastry bar with sweet egg cream and a shining sugar glaze.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Cockscombs
A crisp pastry crescent with a serrated edge and a sweet almond-and-egg heart.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Delícia Puff Pastry
Rectangular puff pastry, sweet egg cream, top vents and icing sugar.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Isabelinha Pastries
Two puff-pastry discs sealed around a light egg-yolk and milk cream.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Puff-Pastry Bow
Bow-twisted puff pastry with sweet egg cream and a thin sugar glaze.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Maravilha Puff Pastry
Two puff-pastry rings, sweet egg cream and a white crown of icing.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Mille-Feuille
Shatter-crisp pastry and cream beneath a sugar glaze marbled with chocolate.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Mondego Puff Pastry
A puff-pastry bar with pastry cream, cinnamon, almond and powdered sugar.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Palmier
A crisp puff-pastry heart, glazed with caramelised sugar.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Coated Portuguese Palmier
A puff-pastry palmier coated with sweet egg cream and crystal sugar or glaze.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Filled Portuguese Palmier
Two rectangular sheets of caramelised puff pastry joined with egg cream.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Plain Portuguese Palmier
Puff pastry and sugar in a caramelised fan, without filling or coating.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Leaf Puff Pastry
An oval egg-cream puff scored like a leaf and caramelised on top.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Puff-Pastry Russo
Two puff-pastry sheets enclosing a tall block of Russian cream under icing sugar and cinnamon.
Nationwide
Portuguese icon Portuguese Apple Tartlet
A puff-pastry rectangle with pastry cream and sliced apple beneath jelly.
NationwideQuestions about this family
What are laminated pastries?
Doughs folded, rolled or stretched into fine sheets and baked until light and crisp.
How many sweets are in this category?
The catalogue contains 46 specialities in this family. Every record includes origin, ingredients, flavour, history, variations, season, where to try it and sources.
Where should I begin?
A useful first selection is Travesseiro de Sintra, Pastel de Tentúgal, Jesuíta, Pastel de Vouzela. The complete collection below also reveals lesser-known local specialities.