Jolene Lamb

Sometimes I get hungry for a pop-tart. Not the store-bought ones. These style just like the cardboard field they’re packaged in. I’m speaking a couple of made-from-scratch, sweet-filled, flaky pastry with simply the correct quantity of flavorful glaze on prime. There are a couple of native bakeries that serve them, and they’re scrumptious. However what’s even higher? Making them at house so you may eat them simply out of the oven, nonetheless heat. Yum.

They are often made with several types of dough and might be full of each candy and savory fillings. You may make your individual dough from scratch or use readymade dough. Similar with the fillings, make them from scratch or purchase premade. Whichever you select, they are going to nonetheless style higher than the dry, flavorless cardboard ones we ate as children.

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The strategies for assembling pop-tarts may range. The normal rectangle form is most recognizable, as is the folded triangle turnover form. You possibly can even use cookie cutters to make quite a lot of shapes. Whichever form you select, the secret is reaching a fully-sealed edge, making a pocket of filling that stays within the pop-tart.

I typically make a batch of pop-tarts when I’ve leftover pie dough. I put together and fill them, freeze them, and retailer them till I’m able to bake at a later date.

Need to be taught the strategies and get hands-on expertise in making each candy and savory pop-tarts? Then be part of us for our pop-tarts class on Saturday, April 1. Name (217) 786-2432 for extra data. Till then, here’s a recipe to attempt at house with made-from-scratch dough and premade fillings. Take pleasure in!

Dough

Yield: 18 rectangles (9 every 3×4 pop-tarts)

*2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

* ½ teaspoon wonderful sea salt

*1 cup chilly unsalted butter, reduce into ½-inch cubes

*6 to eight tablespoons ice water, plus extra as wanted

In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour and salt to mix. Add the butter, tossing the cubes by way of the flour till the items are separated from each other and each bit is coated.

Lower the butter into the flour by urgent the items between your palms or fingertips, flattening the cubes into huge shards and persevering with to toss them within the flour to recoat the shards. Or use a pastry blender or the tines of a fork. The dimensions of the butter will range from hazelnut to concerning the dimension of peas.

Make a nicely within the heart of the combination. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and blend it in by tossing the flour within the bowl.

Proceed so as to add ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time till the dough begins to come back collectively. Because it comes collectively, fold it over itself a couple of instances to ensure it’s homogenous. The dough ought to maintain collectively with out noticeable cracks.

Divide dough into two equal items, flatten to a 1-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for half-hour.

Filling

Use any store-bought filling resembling jam, jelly, hazelnut unfold or different nut butter, marshmallow fluff, chocolate ganache, cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon, or any mixture of your favourite delicate spreadable fillings.

Assemble

Take away one chilled dough disc from the fridge and permit it to take a seat at room temperature for quarter-hour. This can assist make the dough simpler to roll and work with. Hold the opposite disc within the fridge. After quarter-hour, place the disc onto a evenly floured work floor, and roll it right into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and 9×12 inches in dimension. Trim the edges as wanted. At all times be mild along with your pastry dough. You don’t need it to tear. Lower each bit of dough into thirds and every third into thirds once more. You’ll find yourself with 9 rectangles, every measuring 3×4 inches.

Place every of the 9 rectangles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The pop-tarts won’t unfold within the oven a lot, so it’s possible you’ll place them comparatively close to each other. Place the baking sheet within the fridge. Roll the second disc out right into a rectangle and reduce it into 9 even rectangles as you probably did with the primary half of the dough. These 9 rectangles would be the tops of your do-it-yourself pop-tarts. Place the baking sheet into the fridge as you put together the filling.

Take away one baking sheet of rectangles from the fridge. Brush egg wash over the whole floor of every rectangle. These would be the bottoms of your pop-tarts and the egg wash will assist glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of the ready filling into the middle of every rectangle, unfold it round, leaving round 1/4 inch of area on the sides. Brush the second baking sheet of rectangles with egg wash, then place every rectangle on prime of the filling-topped rectangles, egg wash facet down. Use your fingertips to press firmly across the pocket of filling, sealing the dough nicely on all sides.

Poke holes within the tops of every stuffed pastry to permit the steam to flee. This helps get your pop-tart pastry good and flaky. I used a toothpick to poke eight holes in every. Seal the sides by crimping with a fork, to stop the edges from opening because the pop-tarts bake. Refrigerate the stuffed pop-tarts uncovered for at the very least 20 minutes and as much as one hour. This chilling let the pop-tarts relaxation earlier than baking. It additionally companies up the pastry because it has been out at room temperature for thus lengthy at this level.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F. As soon as unbaked pop-tarts have chilled for 20 minutes, take away from the fridge and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. This egg wash will give your pastry that stunning golden sheen. Bake for about 22-28 minutes or till they’re golden brown, rotating the pan midway by way of baking. Let the baked pop-tarts cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly earlier than glazing.

Glaze

Whisk 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, plus extra as wanted, and 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract collectively in a medium bowl till it reaches a spreading consistency. You need a thick glaze, however not too thick that it’s arduous to unfold. Add one other teaspoon or two of milk if wanted. Use a spoon or knife to glaze every pop-tart. The glaze will barely harden in about an hour in the event you choose to attend that lengthy.

Retailer pop-tarts in an hermetic container at room temperature for 3 days or within the fridge for six days. To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

Lincoln Land Neighborhood School provides credit score applications in culinary arts, hospitality administration, baking/pastry, and value-added native meals, and non-credit cooking and meals lessons by way of LLCC Neighborhood Schooling. Cooking or meals questions? Electronic mail epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.

Jolene Lamb is culinary coordinator, group schooling, for Lincoln Land Neighborhood School.