Homemade Pop Tarts, y’all! With fresh strawberry jam! Have an abundance of strawberries this spring? These homemade pop tarts will have your family swooning. #52WeeksofSweets #Week12

One of my biggest pregnancy cravings (besides chewing on ice and not using a knife… weird, right?) was Pop Tarts. I could NOT get through a morning without at least one. Something about the crust, plus jelly, plus icing? Ohmygod. Heaven for my pregnant self.

Turns out by my third kid, that craving was as strong as ever. And, because I was always noshing on pop tarts, my kids developed an affinity for them as well. Who can blame them?

While those pop tarts were (and still are) really good, now that I’m not pregnant I decided to invest a little time into my pop tart debauchery and make homemade pop tarts from scratch.

And by from scratch, I mean using refrigerated pie crust. Sorry, I just can’t rock a pie crust yet. I should probably set that as a goal for this #52WeeksofSweets series. #notetoself

I did, however, take the time to make my own strawberry jam. You could skip this step too, and just use store-bought, but then we’re getting dangerously close to the boxed pop tarts, so… you’ll just have to work that one out for yourself.

Homemade Pop Tarts with Strawberry Jam

First let’s get jammin’: Mash the strawberries with a potato masher until the juices are loose and the strawberries have broken down some. Using a heavy bottomed pot, mix the strawberries, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).

Allow to cool to room temperature to use in this recipe, refrigerate in an air-tight container for a few days, or can using proper sterilization techniques.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. On a floured surface, lay out the pie crust and cut them into squares. I found a cocoa lid that worked well for the size I wanted. Cut out as many squares as you can, then re-roll the dough crumbs that you have left to eek out a few more squares.

Dollop a tablespoon or so (depending on the size of your tarts) on 1/2 of the pop tart squares, and spread out, leaving a 1/2 inch crust around all edges.

Brush the crust with egg wash, then lay a plain square on top. Press down to seal the edges and crimp with a fork. Using a toothpick or chopstick, prick the top side of the tarts.

Bake for 13-17 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool. Mix the confectioner’s sugar with the lemon juice and stir until smooth. Pour over the cooled pop tarts and allow to set about 30 seconds, the top with sprinkles. Enjoy!

P.S. Don’t put these guys in the toaster. Jonnie did that and it didn’t work out well for the pop tart or the toaster. 🙂

Homemade Pop Tarts with Strawberry Jam

Yield: 8-10 tarts

Homemade Pop Tarts, y'all! With fresh strawberry jam! Have an abundance of strawberries this spring? These homemade pop tarts will have your family swooning. #52WeeksofSweets #Week12

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Jam:
2 cups sugar
zest from one lemon
2 pints fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved
For the Pop Tarts:
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (you'll need two crusts)
1 cup of Strawberry Jam
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of confectioner's sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
Optional: sprinkles

Instructions

In a large bowl, mash the strawberries with a potato masher until the juices are loose and the strawberries have broken down some.
Using a heavy bottomed pot, mix the strawberries, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).
Allow to cool to room temperature to use in this recipe, refrigerate in an air-tight container for a few days, or can using proper sterilization techniques.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a floured surface, lay out the pie crust and cut them into squares. I found a cocoa lid that worked well for the size I wanted. Cut out as many squares as you can, then re-roll the dough crumbs that you have left to eek out a few more squares.
Dollop a tablespoon or so (depending on the size of your tarts) on 1/2 of the pop tart squares, and spread out, leaving 1/2 inch crust around all edges.
Brush the crust with egg wash, then lay a plain square on top. Press down to seal the edges and crimp with a fork.
Using a toothpick or chopstick, prick the top side of the tarts.
Bake for 13-17 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool.
Mix the confectioner's sugar with the lemon juice and stir until smooth. Pour over the cooled pop tarts and allow to set about 30 seconds, the top with sprinkles. Enjoy!
P.S. Don't put these guys in the toaster. 🙂