Homemade Poptarts

It has been raining here, a lot lately.  It's not that surprising for Vancouver, but it is still keeping us indoors.  When the weather is miserable, I feel the need to bake.  However I did not want to go out to the store and buy ingredients, so I took out a couple of my favourite baking books.  After flipping through a couple, I came a cross homemade pop-tarts, in one of my favourite books.  "Flour" by Joanne Chang.

Pop-tarts were very much a treat in our house.  I don't think we had them very often and if we did they were for a snack not breakfast like in the commercials.  As we got older we were also allowed once in a while Pillsbury toaster strudel's.

When my husband and I were dating we bought some pop-tarts once, and I remember him giving me this strange look, because I did not toast mine.  Maybe it's because I had them as a snack as a kid, but I like them as is not warm.

This recipe reminds me more of a the toaster strudel then a pop-tart, mostly because of the flaky pastry, and because I do prefer these to be warm.

Homemade Pop-tarts by Joanne Chang

THE PASTRY

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose-flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup, cold unsalted butter, cut in to 12 pieces
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp cold milk

Using a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) mix together flour, sugar and salt for 10 to 15 seconds.  Scatter the butter over top.  Mix on low until the flour holds together when you clump it and lumps of butter the size of pecans are visible throughout.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and milk until it is blended.  Add to the flour mixture all at once.  Mix on low for 30 seconds, or until dough barely comes together.  It will look more like a mess then dough.

Dump dough onto floured work surface, then gather it into a tight mound.  Using your palm and starting on one side of the mound, smear the dough bit by bit, starting at the top of the mound, until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the dough comes together.  Do this once or twice on each part of the mound, moving through the mound until the whole thing has been smeared into a cohesive dough with streaks of butter.

Gather up the dough, and wrap in plastic wrap and make into a disk.  Place in fridge for 4 hours.  You can also freeze this dough for a month.


 Pop-Tart

Dough
1 egg
1 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 3 tbsp water
Sprinkles



Heat oven to 350 degrees F

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide in half.  Press each half into a rectangle.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a 14 by 11 inch rectangle.  Using a paring knife, lightly score one rectangle into eight 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 half inch rectangles.

( I accidentally cut all the way through, it still worked out fine)

Brush top surface of scored rectangle with egg wash.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of jam in the middle of each rectangle.  Lay the second large dough directly on top of the first.  Use fingers to carefully press down around the jam.

Using a knife, pizza wheel or fluted roller, follow the score lines and cut layered dough into 8 rectangles

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tops are golden.  Let cool on a wire rack for half an hour.

While pop-tarts are cooling, in a small bowl whisk sugar, vanilla and water to make a smooth pourable glaze. 

When the pop-tarts are cooled, brush tops with glaze and sprinkle.