Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt. Then, use a pastry cutter to cut in the cold unsalted butter until it is lentil-sized. (If you don't have a pastry cutter, you can also do this using a food processor.) Then, pour in the ice water and mix until just combined. If the dough is still crumbly, add in more water as necessary. Form the dough into two equal sized disks and wrap each one individually with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least an hour, or up to two days.

Step 3

In a medium pot, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and kosher salt. Heat mixture over high heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula. Once the mixture starts to bubble up, reduce the heat down to medium-low. Cook the mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the jam is thick and viscous. To test if the jam is ready, I usually like to run my spatula along the bottom of the pot in a straight line. If it takes several seconds for the line to fill back up, the jam is usually ready. Once ready, remove pot from the heat and transfer the jam to a heatproof container. Let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate the jam to let it cool completely before using it for the pop tarts.

Step 4

Once the jam has completely cooled, roll out the pie dough to 1/8-in thickness.

Step 5

Cut 4 inch x 2.5 inch rectangles from the dough. Save the scraps, and re-roll the pie dough to get more rectangles (I don't recommend re-rolling the dough more than once).

Step 6

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and salt. Set aside.

Step 7

On half the rectangles, spoon 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam into the middle of the rectangle. Spread to make sure it evenly covers the inside of the rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of all the rectangles (the egg wash will ensure that the pop tart sticks together). Flip the rectangles without the jam onto the rectangles with the jam and press along the edges to close the pop tart. Use a fork to crimp the edges together on all sides. Using a paring knife, cut three small slits in the top of the pop tart. This will ensure that the pop tart does not explode while baking.

Step 8

Brush egg wash on the top of all the pop tarts, then bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let cool completely before adding the frosting.

Step 9

In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. If desired, add in a small amount of pink food coloring.

Step 10

Once the pop tarts have cooled completely, spread the frosting over the pop tarts, then top with sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!