Homemade Pop Tarts
For my birthday last year, my friends and I did a cooking class in another friend's home with a certified chef. We made these pop tarts and they were delicious! The variety of fillings could be endless. You could do sweet or savory, breakfast or lunch or dinner, dessert or a meal. It's awesome. I have yet to make them since only because I haven't had the time. But this summer I plan on whipping up several batches of several different kinds.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Pastry Ingredients:
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. (1 ounce) milk
1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)
Directions for Pastry:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it.
If you've used a food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive, kneading briefly on a well-floured surface, if necessary.
Divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3x5 inches. You can roll this out immediately or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling
Directions for Cinnamon Filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and flour.
Jam Filling
3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam
1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water
Directions for Jam Filling:
Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.
Alternate Fillings:
9 Tbsp. chocolate chips
9 Tbsp. Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut paste
9 Tbsp. of a delight of your choice, such as salted caramel or nut paste.
Assembling the Tarts:
If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a rectangle about 1/8" thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9x12. (You can use a 9x13 pan, laid on top, as a guide.)
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Set trimmings aside (see Notes).
Cut each piece of dough into thirds - you'll form nine 3" x 4" rectangles.
Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the "inside" of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it.
Place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with the remaining tarts.
Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don't need covered) for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the Tarts:
Remove the tarts from the fridge and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they're a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack.
Notes: Sprinkle the dough trimmings with cinnamon-sugar; these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it's a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13 to 15 minutes until they're golden brown.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Pastry Ingredients:
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. (1 ounce) milk
1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)
Directions for Pastry:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it.
If you've used a food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive, kneading briefly on a well-floured surface, if necessary.
Divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3x5 inches. You can roll this out immediately or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling
Directions for Cinnamon Filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and flour.
Jam Filling
3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam
1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water
Directions for Jam Filling:
Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.
Alternate Fillings:
9 Tbsp. chocolate chips
9 Tbsp. Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut paste
9 Tbsp. of a delight of your choice, such as salted caramel or nut paste.
Assembling the Tarts:
If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a rectangle about 1/8" thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9x12. (You can use a 9x13 pan, laid on top, as a guide.)
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Set trimmings aside (see Notes).
Cut each piece of dough into thirds - you'll form nine 3" x 4" rectangles.
Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the "inside" of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it.
Place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with the remaining tarts.
Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don't need covered) for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the Tarts:
Remove the tarts from the fridge and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they're a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack.
Notes: Sprinkle the dough trimmings with cinnamon-sugar; these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it's a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13 to 15 minutes until they're golden brown.
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