Homemade Vs Store Bought Pop Tarts

  On my quest to be cheerfully frugal I discovered a recipe for homemade Pop Tarts.   Pop Tarts, those magical, sugary, breakfast treats from childhood.  Oh, how I loved them!  Not one to spoil all that well preserved, chemically enhanced goodness, unlike he who shall not be named*, I never heated mine in the toaster.

By the time DD#2* came along so did toaster pastries.  So different, yet so close to a pop tart.  It had all of the basic components - flaky crust, gooey filling, sweet frosting with a good amount of chemical enhancement for added flavor!

 Ok, so we all know that homemade is usually better for you, less preservatives, chemicals, food coloring and other ingredients that you simply can't pronounce. But  could that sweet morning delight really be recreated from scratch sans all those luscious chemicals?  I decided to give it a try this morning and poll the FF* for their reaction.  Here's my results:

 While they did not taste like a Pop Tart (thank goodness) they were more along the line of a Toaster Pastry (yippee), especially after I whipped up a little confectionary sugar and milk for a quick icing!  The votes from the family:

DH - thumbs up - his mouth was full
DD #3 - sorry,  can't try them 'cause I already ate but they look good
HWSNBN - Yea, good
DD #4 - Umm...I like these, better than the toaster pastries!
#3S - ate and ran, but came back for seconds , so how bad could they be?
DF - Good stuff, Cin...(that's a compliment in my world!)

*see cast of characters for explanation

What would I do different?  I think I'd roll the dough a bit thinner.  This way I'd get more pastries and they wouldn't be quite as filling.  I'll be making these again for sure!

Recipe
Homemade Toaster Pastries

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Pastry
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)

Jam Filling
3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

 Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, to taste
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers, pastry blender or food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible, and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. If you’ve used a food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive, kneading briefly on a well-floured counter if necessary.

Divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. You can roll this out immediately or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and 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″. [You can use a 9" x 13" pan, laid on top, as guidance.] 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. I cheated and used an index card and pizza cutter.  It worked great!

Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 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. Try not to have any filling squishing out the sides as it will burn on your cookie sheet quickly. (trust me, I know)

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.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack.

My entire family has a sweet tooth so I added a little frosting to the top made with a small amount of powdered sugar and milk.