These Homemade Strawberry Pop-tarts are bursting with filling, and drizzled with tangy cream-cheese glaze.The Globe and Mail
Why settle for good when you can have great? Pass up those frozen processed pastries in favour of these homemade portable pies. Made with flaky, butter pastry that's bursting with strawberry filling, and drizzled with tangy cream-cheese glaze, they're everything a Pop-Tart wishes it could be.
Servings: 9
Ready Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including chilling time
Crust
2 cups (290 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup very cold water
Filling
1 1/2 cups (210 g) diced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Glaze
4 tbsp cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp milk (plus extra for thinning)
Method
Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are roughly pea-sized.
Pulse in the water, one or two tablespoons at a time until the dough sticks together when pinched. It’s likely you will not need all of the water, and the dough will still look crumbly but should hold together when squeezed. To keep the crust tender and flaky, do not overwork the dough.
Dump out half the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into a square. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The filling can be made up to three days ahead of time, or while the dough is chilling in the fridge. Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot and bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce to medium heat and simmer rapidly while stirring until the syrup is thick and glossy and the fruit is cooked through. This should take six to nine minutes. (The filling will thicken further during baking.)
If you’re making it ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. If you’re making the filling the same day, chill in the freezer to speed the cooling process. The filling can be warm or cool, but not hot when you add it to the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dust your counter with flour and roll out of one the squares of dough into a rectangle roughly 1/8 one-eighth of an inch thick. Cut the dough into three-by-four-inch rectangles. Place the rectangles on the tray and chill in the fridge while you repeat with the remaining square of dough. You should have 18 rectangles in total.
Place a scant tablespoon of the strawberry filling on nine of the rectangles. Spread the filling but leave a 1/2 inch bare on each side to seal the pastry. Top with another rectangle of dough and gently press with your finger along the edge to set it in place. Use a fork dipped in flour to thoroughly press and seal the edges together. Poke multiple sets of holes on top of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden on the edges and light golden on the tops. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Stir together the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Whisk in the tablespoon of milk until completely combined. Then add extra milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time until your glaze reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the pastries before serving.
Store leftover glaze in the fridge for up to a week, and leftover pastries at room temperature for up to three days.