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Pop-Tarts: An Easy Homemade Treat

What to make when you don't want all the extra additives of store-bought boxed Pop-Tarts



My son was watching the new pop-tart movie Unfrosted over at his grandparents' house this weekend and was lamenting that I "never let him have pop-tarts!" This led to a discussion about how I also don't let him have the best cereals like Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes or Lucky Charms. Sorry, kid. You're stuck with Cheerios. That's about as far as I'll take it in the sugary breakfast department as it makes him too hyper before school. When he got home, he insisted that I watch the movie as it was "so so soooooo good". (It really is a very funny movie, and I couldn't get over the star-studded cast!). His great grandpa actually worked at Kellogg in Battle Creek so it was fun to explain to him our personal connection to the movie. Needless to say, watching it inspired me to make him homemade pop tarts! I figured - how hard could it be? And it wasn't difficult at all. Your kids will love this! I cut corners and went with a recipe that uses store-bought pie crust. If I hadn't had a demanding little Veruca Salt telling me he wanted the pop tarts "now! now! now!" I would have gone with making my own dough. Next time! These were really REALLY good. We did 3 different fillings - strawberry, nutella and apple butter.


Homemade Pop-Tarts



Ingredients

Pop-Tarts

  • 1 package rolled pie crust

  • 1 c. jam, nutella or preserves

  • 1 large egg

Icing

  • 1 c. powdered sugar

  • 2-3 tbl milk or cream

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

  • 1-2 tbl filling (optional)


Don't make my mistake - be sure to use parchment paper on the baking sheet!


Directions


  1. Preheat your oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Unroll the crust onto another sheet of parchment paper. Cut out 3x5 inch rectangles. If you have any dough left over, roll it into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll out the remainder to cut additional rectangles.

  3. Beat the egg in a small bowl.

  4. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, lay a few rectangles on the parchment paper on your baking sheet. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of your filling in the center of the rectangle. No need to spread the filling onto the pastry. The filling will spread during the cooking process. Brush the edges of the rectangle with the egg and place another rectangle on top. Using your fingers, firmly but gently press or pinch the edges together all the way around. Then use a fork to crimp the edges. Poke several holes in the top and brush the entire top with the egg wash.

  5. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  6. While the pop-tarts are cooling, whisk together the icing. Once they are fully cooled, spread the icing over the top.

  7. They will keep in an air tight container for about 2 days but are really best eaten fresh.


Tips

  • Try not to overfill with the filling. If you do, it leaks out and gunks up on the sides of the pop-tart.

  • Let them fully cool before you frost them. If they are still warm, the frosting will seep into the holes you poked and it makes the pop-tart fall apart.

  • Putting a bit of the filling into your icing adds some pretty color to the top of the pop-tart

  • Be sure to really seal those sides to keep the filling in. Using a fork to seal them helps a ton.

  • Parchment paper is KEY! I did my first batch on a non-stick baking pan and the pop-tarts still stuck and broke apart when I tried to get them off.


Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g |

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