Strawberry Heart Pop Tarts
These strawberry heart pop tarts are a fun and delicious way to introduce your kids to baking. Let them decorate to their hearts' desire!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
3 hours hrs
Total Time4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Unspecified
Servings: 10 small pop tarts
Calories: 300kcal
Strawberry jam filling
- ½ pound strawberries, stemmed and hulled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pop tart dough
- 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (228 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
Strawberry jam filling
In a small pot, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of water over low heat until the strawberries are falling apart and the mixture has thickened. Feel free to smash the berries with a potato masher.
½ pound strawberries, stemmed and hulled, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
If you want to remove the seeds, put the jam through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool.
Tart dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all purpose flour, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
Add the butter and mix on low speed 1 to 2 minutes until the pieces are the size of peas.
1 cup (228 grams or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
Crack the egg into the measuring cup used to measure the milk, and whisk to combine. Add this to the mixer bowl and mix on low until the dough just starts to come together.
¼ cup milk, 1 egg
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead only until the dough comes together. Divide into two equal amounts, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one for 1 to 2 hours prior to use. The other disk can be placed in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out and stored in the freezer for up to 3 to 6 months.
Assembly
When ready to roll and fill the pop tarts, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured countertop to about ¼ inch thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out hearts or other shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Depending on the size of your cookie cutter, spoon a teaspoon or two of jam into the center of one heart.
Dip your finger into a bowl of cold water and gently wet the edges of the heart.
Cover with a second heart cut-out, and use a fork or your finger to seal the edges well. Repeat with the remaining cut-outs.
If your house is warm and the dough has gotten soft, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes prior to baking.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the tops of the pop tarts have turned a golden brown. You may need to rotate your baking sheet halfway through.
Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely prior to glazing and decorating, if desired.
This strawberry heart pop tart recipe uses one half of the batch of tart dough. Freeze the other half for future uses.
To decorate the top of your pop tarts, combine a cup of confectioner's sugar with a teaspoon or more of lemon juice and any food coloring you choose. Add more lemon juice as needed to get the glaze to a thick but pourable consistency. Add sprinkles!
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 604IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg