Homemade Pop Tarts!

I'm back! And I'm happy to be back! Thank you so much for being patient with me. The last few months have been busy since I've been working on a few large projects such as baking and packaging 350 chocolate chip cookies for a friend's wedding, organizing a bridal shower, and doing some freelance wedding and product photography.

You heard me, Homemade Pop Tarts! I've only had the commercial pop tarts once and after one bite, I couldn't finish it. They are loaded with sugar, artificial coloring, preservatives, and more refined sugar! From noticing how people love pop tarts, I wanted to make some homemade ones as a alternative to the sugar loaded commercial pop tart. 

A few great things about this pop tart:

• You can choose whichever fruit preserve you are craving for in these cute tarts. 
• It's 100% whole wheat, so it'll provide nourishment to your body 
• Cute and portable 
• Artificial coloring free, preservative free, and high fructose corn syrup free 

Taste & Texture: 

The crust is flaky, butter, and easy to bite into. The nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour is balanced by the sweetness and flavor of the filling. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8.5 oz) whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling

Fruit preserve or jam (Sugar-free/ High fructose corn syrup free), homemade cinnamon apple compote, the choices are limitless!

Method- Making the dough

1. Cut up cold butter into pea sized pieces. Set aside. 
2. Whisk flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Add butter and use pastry blender to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. A crumbly dough will start to form. 
3. In a clean bowl, whisk egg yolks and milk together until combined. Add this mixture into the flour-butter mixture. Mix with your hands until a dough starts to form. Knead dough onto a work surface until the dough comes together. During the kneading, smear the butter in the dough with the palm of your hands. This will help the dough come together. 
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour. 

Method- Assembling the tarts

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Dusk work surface with flour to roll out one of the dough with a rolling pin. Leave second portion of dough in the fridge. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/8" inch. Dust dough, rolling pin, work surface as needed to prevent sticking. 
3. With a pizza cutter or knife, trim the dough into a rectangle. Then cut the rectangle into desired sized pop tarts. Recommended size: 3.5" x 4.5." With the dough scrapes, combine and roll it out to repeat step 1 and 2. 
4. Transfer the rectangles to prepared baking sheet. Allow a two inch space between each rectangle. with a fork, prick the rectangles. Then place baking sheet in the fridge. 
5. Take out second piece of dough from fridge and with it, repeat step 1 and 2. Then prick the dough with a fork. Set aside in the fridge. They can be stacked but dust it with flour to prevent sticking. 
6. Whisk an egg with some water (say 1 tablespoon) in a bowl. Set aside. 
7. Take out baking sheet with the prepared rectangles from fridge. Brush a thin coat of egg wash over each rectangle. Then spoon in 1 tablespoon of desired filling (jam/fruit preserve) into each rectangle. Spread the jam evenly but leave a 1 cm boarder around filling. 
8. Take out the other prepared rectangles from the fridge. Doing this one at a time, brush a thin coat of egg wash on the side without the prick marks. Then place it over the jam-covered rectangles. Press the edges to adere the sides. Repeat this for all jam-covered rectangles. 
9. With a fork, crimp the edges of the tart. You may need to dip the fork in flour to prevent it from sticking to the dough. 
10. Lightly brush each tart with egg wash for a shiny golden look. 
11. Bake these for 15-20 minutes at 375F. If you are not ready to bake them, store them in the fridge on the baking sheet until you are. Enjoy!