Homemade Cherry Pop Tarts

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie crust at a time to a rectangle about ⅛" (3 mm) thick.*

Step 3

Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut out 3" by 5" (8 cm by 13 cm) rectangles in the dough—usually about 10 from one pie crust with rerolling any scraps. Place half of the rectangles at least 2" (5 cm) apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 4

Add a heaping teaspoon of cherry jam in the center of the dough. Spread it out a little, but keep the jam at least ½" (12 mm) away from the edges of the dough to prevent leaks.

Step 5

Whisk an egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, then brush all four edges lightly with the egg wash.

Step 6

Poke the remaining dough rectangles with a fork 3-4 times to vent, then gently lay them on top of the jam-topped rectangles. Seal the sides by pressing down gently with your fingers, then use a fork to crimp the edges together. Brush each pastry lightly with egg wash.

Step 7

Bake for 13-17 minutes, until the tops of the pastries are a deep, golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

Step 8

While the pies are cooling, mix together 3 Tablespoons of cherry jam with the powdered sugar.** The frosting should be bright pink and very thick. (If your jam has large pieces of cherries, consider straining them out for easier spreading.)

Step 9

Once the pies have cooled, top each pastry with about a teaspoon of the frosting, then allow the frosting to set for 1-2 hours.