Gluten Free Pop-Tarts

Since I've become gluten free I've been craving quick, filling breakfast options.  I'll admit it: I loved Pop-Tarts! So when I stumbled upon this homemade Pop-Tart recipe from Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to adapt it to make it GF. {Keep in mind that SK is a professional so mine look a bit more rustic...but tasty all the same!}

My favorite Pop-Tart used to be strawberry, no icing.  Yes, it’s boring but oh so delicious when warmed in the toaster oven.  Let me warn you: this version of pop tarts is buttery and flaky and doesn’t have all the processed ingredients that allow it to stand upright in the toaster.  If you try this, you will have a disaster on your hands.  The great thing is these don’t even need warming.  This buttery goodness was perfect with a hot cup of tea in the morning.  

So a few quick tips for putting these babies together.  Don’t put too much jam in them if you want to avoid the oozing that I had.  However, I like the sweetness of the tart more than the savory, so I piled the jam on! Once you see those measurements below, I’m sure you’ll wonder if it’s okay to grab a ruler. Yes! I know I had to. {Just be sure to sanitize it} You want to be sure the top and bottom halves are equally sized. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Ingredients:

Pastry

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour {I used GF flour}

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)

Jam Filling

3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam 

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water {be sure to mix well to remove any clumps...as you can see in the saucepan below}

Filling: Begin by making the jam filling so it can have time to cool. Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set it aside to cool.

Dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Folded the butter into the dough with your fingers until you still saw pea-sized lumps of butter, and the mixture holds together when squeezing it. After whisking the first egg and milk together and stirring them into the dough, mix until everything is cohesive.

Assembly: In order to create the top and bottom portions of the tart, divide the dough in half. With a floured work surface {I recommend using generous flouring to avoid the dough sticking to the surface}, take one half of the dough and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you could trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. {You can use a 9" x 13" pan, laid on top, as guidance.} Repeat this with the second piece of dough. Cut each piece of dough into thirds, which will form nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.

Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it. Place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with remaining tarts.

Using a spatula, gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.

Baking: Remove the tarts form the fridge, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack.

See Smitten Kitchen for additional filling options and other great tips!


{ Cenita }