Pastry dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Dash salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
Egg wash:
- 1 large egg
Filling:
- 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam (I did a mix of 1TBSP of Flour and a handful of brown sugar and some shakes of cinnamon in a bowl then added to some)
Icing:
- 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- Rainbow sprinkles
Directions
Step 1: Make the dough
Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until blended. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla and two tablespoons of milk. Add the egg mixture to the food processor while pulsing until moist crumbs form. If the dough is still dry, add more milk one tablespoon at a time, pulsing between additions.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Editor’s Tip: Make sure the butter is cold! Cold butter helps keep the pastry flaky.
Step 2: Prep the egg wash
Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk. Set aside.
Step 3: Form the pastries
Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into eight 3×5-inch rectangles. Transfer the sliced dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat.
Lightly brush the egg wash over the rectangles all the way to the edges. Spoon about one tablespoon of strawberry jam into the center of each pastry, spreading it to within 1/2 inch of the edges.
Roll the remaining half of the dough into another large rectangle. Cut into eight more 3×5-inch rectangles. Place each rectangle over the halves with filling. Press the edges with your fingers, then use a fork to seal.
Lightly prick the tops of the pastries with the fork. Brush the entire top of every pastry with a light layer of egg wash.
Step 4: Bake the pastries
Bake the homemade Pop-Tarts for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and set them on a wire rack to cool.
Step 5: Decorate the Pop-Tarts like Taylor
To make the icing, stir confectioners’ sugar and milk together until smooth. Spread the icing in an even layer over the top of the pastries. Sprinkle generously with rainbow sprinkles. Allow the icing to set before serving. Otherwise, you might shake it off.
Editor’s Tip: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl to prevent any lumps in the icing.