Éclairs

• Like many cream pastries, éclair are of French origin. Made with cream puff pastry dough (also called choux paste), a dough prepared from eggs, milk, salt and flour, éclairs are oblong pastries filled with whipped cream or vanilla pastry cream. Pastry chefs often top éclairs with a sweet topping that matches the pastry's filling.

Cream Puffs

• Pastry chefs use choux paste to make cream puffs. Dollops of choux paste are baked, creating hollow shells. These shells are then stuffed with cream fillings or sweetened whipped cream. Some chefs use custard or savory fillings such as cream cheese, tuna salad and salmon mousse.

Frangipane Tarts

• Almonds flavor crème frangipane. This cream pastry is made with pastry cream that has been combined with equal portions of crème d'amandes, a type of sweet almond paste. Instead of almond paste, some people may substitute crushed macaroons, a cookie made with almonds, or almond flavoring. Some may use the almond filling as a topping as well.

Napoleons

• Several theories surround the creation of napoleons. One theory says that the pastry is derived from the word "Napolitain", which refers to Naples, Italy. Another theory claims that the pastry was invented for and named after the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleons take on a rectangular shape. This dessert is made with thin, crisp layers of pastry dough. Pastry chefs pipe crème pâtissière between the layers. Napoleons are typically made in single servings and topped with icing or confectioner's sugar.

Cannoli

• Sometimes called Turkish hats, cannoli are a Sicilian pastry. The crispy, tubed-shaped pastry is fried then filled with either ricotta cream or mascarpone. Typical flavored fillings for this pastry include vanilla and chocolate. Alternative cannoli fillings include custard, candied fruit and chocolate. Miniature versions of this treat are referred to as cannulicchi, which means mini-cannoli.

Nesselrode Pie

• Named after the Russian diplomat Count Karl Nesselrode, the Nesselrode pies are a type of Bavarian cream dessert. The cream filling is an airy custard that's made with gelatin and egg whites. Common flavors for this pastry include rum, chestnuts and dried fruit. Traditionally, Nesselrode pie came in a pineapple shape.