Homemade Toaster Pastries {i.e. Pop Tarts}

I never know what to title my recipe posts. I end up so excited about healthier versions of favorite foods that I get overzealous with my descriptive words. What I really wanted to call this recipe was…

Family Favorite – Real Food – Homemade – 100% Whole Wheat – Sugar Free – Real Fruit Pop Tarts.

Like I said, maybe slightly too descriptive. 🙂

These “Pop Tarts” are one of my favorite recipes though, mostly because my kids love them and think they are getting a super special treat. The store bought version is so full of junk, it is definitely a dessert, not a healthy breakfast food. This homemade version may not be something you’d want to eat every day of the week, but I can pronounce every ingredient, and there is nutritional value. Plus, they are fun to surprise the kids (and the husband) with on Saturday morning.

So, here you go… Kids’s Favorite – Homemade – 100% Whole Wheat – Sugar Free – Real Fruit Pop Tarts… or in other words…

{makes 10-12 pastries}

1/4 cup ice water

1 egg

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks)

3/4-1 cup fruit (fresh or frozen)

1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

 (optional)

2-4 ounces of cream cheese

3-4 tablespoons pureed fruit

Fill a drinking glass with water and a few ice cubes. Let it sit while you work on the four and butter mixture.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Now you need to mix together the butter and flour until it resembles a crumbly meal. There are a few ways to do this. If you have a food processor, you can cut the butter into 1/2 inch chunks spread them evenly on top of the flour in the food processor and then process until blended. You can grate the butter with a cheese grater and then mix it by hand into the flour. Or, you can just use a pastry cutting tool, like this one, to combine the flour and butter. Just make sure the butter is cold (not melted or even softened), or your texture will be off.

Take the ice water and measure out 1/4 cup into a 1-cup measuring cup. Crack the egg into the measured ice water and beat with a fork.

Pour the egg-water mixture into your flour-butter mixture. Stir with a large spoon, or you can mix it in a KitchenAid. Add a tablespoon or two of water if it seems dry.

If you aren’t using all the dough immediately, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few days. Or, you can place it in a freezer bag and freeze it.

I usually divide the dough in half and roll each half out on a piece of parchment paper. You’ll want to flatten it into a big rectangle or square that is no more than a quarter inch thick. I prefer my toaster pastry with a little less crust, so I roll mine even thinner than that.

Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut out 20-24 rectangles of dough. Lay half the rectangles onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Most of the time I just grab some frozen strawberries or blueberries out of the freezer, zap them for a few minutes in the microwave and then puree them to a chunky texture in my Blendtec. If, however, you want a filling that stays a little thicker, you can cook your fruit (fresh or frozen) on the stove for a few minutes. Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2-3 teaspoons of cold water. Add this mixture to your fruit and cook over medium-low heat until it thickens.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of your filling onto each of the rectangles waiting on your baking sheet. Top them with the remaining dough rectangles and seal around the edges by pressing down on them with a fork. Poke a few holes in the top with a toothpick or a fork as well.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18-24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack and then either eat right away or store in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for several months. They can be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave or toaster.

I don’t always add frosting. I actually prefer them without, but my kids are well aware that pop-tarts have brightly colored frosting, so I usually frost at least a few for them. I don’t get fancy though, they just get a thin layer of fruit flavored cream cheese. Pureed blueberries or strawberries make pretty purple or pink frosting to make the kiddos happy. Just puree some leftover filling from the pastries and whip with a little cream cheese. Even after they are frosted, they can be kept in the fridge for 3 days, or frozen. You’ll just need to microwave to reheat instead of using the toaster.

{serving size = one pastry frosted – recipe makes 12 servings}

210 calories, 16g carbs, 14g fat, 3g fiber, 3g protein