This Food Network-approved pastry is the fruity dish of your dreams.
Is it just us, or are we officially in the era of DIY pop-tarts? The famous toaster pastry has found a new life off supermarket shelves and has been popping up (sorry) in our favorite restaurants and cafes. If you’re curious but want to avoid paying $7 for an artisanal version that you could make at home with basic pantry ingredients, Ree Drummond has got you covered with her berry breakfast tart recipe.
We’ve previously shared the Pioneer Woman’s cozy comfort food advice because we love that she gives us basic recipes that still manage to push us out of our comfort zone. These tarts are no different: Despite how involved they might look, they’re actually fairly easy to make while inspiring a nice balance of experimental personalization and classic nostalgia.
The tarts do take about two hours, but a big chunk of that time is devoted to chilling the dough and allowing the pastries to cool. You can always use the downtime to catch up on Netflix while basking in the fruity aromas and quietly wondering whether you really are a celebrity chef in the making. Seriously, the most intense step is cutting the cold butter into flour, which takes only a few minutes and will bring out your inner Barefoot Contessa.
Plus, a big perk of making these from scratch is that you can use whatever filling you like. Drummond goes for mixed berry jam, but using strawberry jam sounds even more delectable. Blueberry or blackberry would also work seamlessly with the recipe, though you could easily get more creative with seemingly endless specialty jams on the market. Blueberry lavender? Sure. Rose? Sounds interesting. Onion? Well…you do you.
The Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pop-Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
Pie Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
1 egg
5 tablespoons cold water (or more if needed)
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
Filling
One 13-ounce jar mixed berry jam (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
Glaze
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon mixed berry jam
2 drops neon purple food coloring
Multicolored jimmies or sprinkles
Directions
For the crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles tiny pebbles. Lightly beat the egg and add to the mixture. Next, add the cold water and vinegar. Stir until the dough just comes together but is still crumbly, using more water if necessary. Form the dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll half of the dough out into a large rectangle, 12 inches by 16 inches. Cut the long side into 4-by-4-inch wide strips. Cut each strip in half across the middle, making 8 equally sized rectangles (4-by-6-inch).
For the filling: Put 2 tablespoons of the jam into the center of four of the cut rectangles. With a pastry brush, brush egg wash around the edges. Place the remaining rectangle over the jam, crimping the edges with a fork to seal. Press lightly on the top to help distribute the jam evenly. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Bake until barely golden, 16 to 18 minutes.
For the glaze: Meanwhile, sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the milk, jam and food coloring. Mix until smooth, then set aside.
Remove the tarts from the oven and allow to cool, 20 minutes. Spoon over the glaze and top with sprinkles. Let the glaze set for 1 hour before bagging up.
