mid-15c., "food made with paste," not originally limited to sweets, from Middle English paste (see paste, n.) + -ry. Probably influenced by Old French pastaierie "pastry" (Modern French pâtisserie), from pastoier "pastry cook," from paste (see paste, n.); also borrowed from Medieval Latin pasteria "pastry," from Latin pasta. Specific sense of "small confection made of pastry" is from 1906. Pastry-cook attested from 1712.