Poptarts have been around for almost fifty years. Fifty years of boys and girls opening those foil packages and hastily stuffing a flat, sugar filled pastry into their mouths before heading off to school. Poptart aficionados might scoff at the notion of enjoying the pastry without first subjecting it to high, electrical heat, and I would tend to agree. Poptarts were meant to be toasted.
My greatest breakfast dread was waking up too late to enjoy a warm and toasty brown sugar poptart. Nothing was more disappointing in those early mornings than my mom handing me a cold and lifeless foil bag and then shooing me out the front door. I wanted my pop tart fresh, golden brown on the top and slighlty melty on the inside. I wanted the cinnamon sugar to burn my tongue, to melt in my mouth, to bring me to poptart ecstasy. A cold bag just didn't cut it.
Years have passed since I've bought a carton of PopTarts (Just read the label, folks, you'll understand). But over Christmas, my little sister came home from college and brought with her a box of half-eaten PopTarts. Those tempting treats sat in our pantry for a few days before I could no longer resist, before I found myself, at midnight, standing by the toaster oven, waiting for my piece of PopTart heaven.
Click on the link below the picture to read more....
My greatest breakfast dread was waking up too late to enjoy a warm and toasty brown sugar poptart. Nothing was more disappointing in those early mornings than my mom handing me a cold and lifeless foil bag and then shooing me out the front door. I wanted my pop tart fresh, golden brown on the top and slighlty melty on the inside. I wanted the cinnamon sugar to burn my tongue, to melt in my mouth, to bring me to poptart ecstasy. A cold bag just didn't cut it.
Years have passed since I've bought a carton of PopTarts (Just read the label, folks, you'll understand). But over Christmas, my little sister came home from college and brought with her a box of half-eaten PopTarts. Those tempting treats sat in our pantry for a few days before I could no longer resist, before I found myself, at midnight, standing by the toaster oven, waiting for my piece of PopTart heaven.
Click on the link below the picture to read more....
And it was good. It was good in all of its highly processed, hydrogenated oiled, corn syruped goodness. But I'm a baker, and I knew that I could do something better, that I could take this childhood treat and turn it into a nostalgic, high-quality experience.
I found a recipe for homemade PopTarts at Smitten Kitchen, and I set to work. Now you might think that since PopTarts are often correlated with childhood, it might be fun to make these with a son or daughter, a niece or nephew. DON'T DO IT. These PopTarts are spectacular, but they are also very time-consuming and intensive. You'll need your concentration, and an eager 5 year old with a jar of sprinkles will impair your progress significantly.
Like I said, these poptarts take time, so be sure to block off a couple of hours if you decide to make them. They bake up beautifully and taste even better. Yes, a fresh baked PopTart far surpasses the store-bought toasted variety...but did I really need to say that? Plus, there is the added fun of creating your own fillings. You can be as imaginative as you'd like...and who knows, mabye you could sell a smashing new idea to Post?
I adapted the original recipe by adding frosting because the best PopTart flavors were always the ones with icing on top. Didn't we all feel sorry for the kids that were stuck with the unfrosted varieties? I can still remember my chagrin when my dad accidentally brought home a box of unfrosted Poptarts; the look on my face could have killed.
When Ryan and I open our bakery (yes, I'm saying "when" now instead of "if") We hope to feature these as well as my homemade oreo's and hopefully a few other childhood favorites. I would love to hear your suggestions for more nostalgic treats...please leave me a comment, and I'll try to whip a homemade variety of whatever you list!
I found a recipe for homemade PopTarts at Smitten Kitchen, and I set to work. Now you might think that since PopTarts are often correlated with childhood, it might be fun to make these with a son or daughter, a niece or nephew. DON'T DO IT. These PopTarts are spectacular, but they are also very time-consuming and intensive. You'll need your concentration, and an eager 5 year old with a jar of sprinkles will impair your progress significantly.
Like I said, these poptarts take time, so be sure to block off a couple of hours if you decide to make them. They bake up beautifully and taste even better. Yes, a fresh baked PopTart far surpasses the store-bought toasted variety...but did I really need to say that? Plus, there is the added fun of creating your own fillings. You can be as imaginative as you'd like...and who knows, mabye you could sell a smashing new idea to Post?
I adapted the original recipe by adding frosting because the best PopTart flavors were always the ones with icing on top. Didn't we all feel sorry for the kids that were stuck with the unfrosted varieties? I can still remember my chagrin when my dad accidentally brought home a box of unfrosted Poptarts; the look on my face could have killed.
When Ryan and I open our bakery (yes, I'm saying "when" now instead of "if") We hope to feature these as well as my homemade oreo's and hopefully a few other childhood favorites. I would love to hear your suggestions for more nostalgic treats...please leave me a comment, and I'll try to whip a homemade variety of whatever you list!
Homemade Pop Tarts
Adapted from King Arthur Flour and Smitten Kitchen
Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)
Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Jam Filling
3/4 cup jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
1.To make cinnamon filling:Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside. To make jam filling: Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers or food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are visible, and the mixture holds together. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until the dough comes together, kneading briefly on a well-floured counter if necessary.
3. Divide the dough in half , shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. Allow to chill if the dough is too soft.
4. If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set trimmings aside. Cut each piece of dough into thirds – you’ll form nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.
5. Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a 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 remaining tarts.
6. 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 to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.
7. Bake poptarts for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you assemble the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract and cinnamon (if using). Once tarts are completely cool, spread a layer of glaze over tarts and allow to harden. These tarts keep well in an air-tight container for about 1 week.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour and Smitten Kitchen
Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)
Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Jam Filling
3/4 cup jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
1.To make cinnamon filling:Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside. To make jam filling: Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers or food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are visible, and the mixture holds together. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until the dough comes together, kneading briefly on a well-floured counter if necessary.
3. Divide the dough in half , shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. Allow to chill if the dough is too soft.
4. If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set trimmings aside. Cut each piece of dough into thirds – you’ll form nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.
5. Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a 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 remaining tarts.
6. 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 to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.
7. Bake poptarts for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you assemble the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract and cinnamon (if using). Once tarts are completely cool, spread a layer of glaze over tarts and allow to harden. These tarts keep well in an air-tight container for about 1 week.
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