Watch chef Barbara Alexander make a classic brown butter pear upside-down cake. This beautiful cake is paired with creme fraiche, a delicious finish to the sweet pears and the rich, buttery texture of the cake. The secret to the deliciousness of the cake is the addition of classic French brown butter. Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, adds a delicious nutty flavor that can be revealed through careful rendering. Watch this and more baking and pastry videos.

Watch chef Barbara Alexander make ice cream sandwiches using walnut butter cookies with brown butter ice cream. The ice cream sandwiches are served with a rich butterscotch sauce, made with real Scotch whisky. The addition of classic French brown butter adds a delicious, rich, nutty flavor to the ice cream. These ice cream sandwiches are a fun and decadent shared dessert. Watch this and more baking and pastry videos.

We visit pastry chef Juan Contreras at the three Michelin star restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Chef Contreras shows us the secrets in making his hazelnut dragees, where creamy French butter is combined with rich cocoa powder. Watch this and more baking and pastry videos.

At the Model Bakery in Napa, Calif., we talk with owner Sarah Mitchell Hansen and head production baker Gordon Patty about their secrets to baking flaky, buttery croissants. Watch this and more baking and pastry videos.