Pop Tarts.....of the homemade variety

These taste amazing!  I may never eat boxed Pop Tarts again.  This means I may only have Pop Tarts once every ten years. This recipe is not for the weak or the faint-hearted.  These are work people.  We have been drooling over this recipe from Chickens in the Road for quite sometime now.  Today, in honor of my oldest daughter, on her 13th birthday (yes, we now have our first teen and look to be living with teens for at least 17 more years!), I made homemade Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts.  The kids always get to pick their birthday breakfast.  They have often picked out Pop Tarts or some really disgusting cereal like Cookie Crisp.  This year it was either homemade doughnuts or homemade Pop Tarts.  I thought Pop Tarts seemed easier than doughnuts, but I think I was wrong.  Now I will just have to make doughnuts to find out.

Homemade Pop Tarts

Pastry:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups shortening
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup very cold water

Add flour, shortening, sugar, and salt to a large bowl. (This is a lot of flour...I suggest a really large bowl so stuff doesn't fly all over the counters.) Mix flour and shortening with a pastry cutter until it looks nice and crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, egg, and water. Add to the flour mixture, stirring in till well-moistened. Stick your hands in there and shape it into a ball. (Don’t overhandle.) Divide dough into equal halves. Wrap each half with plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before using. (Please make this night before....if your not crazy like me.)

After dough is chilled, roll out in two long strips six inches wide.  I did this on the kitchen table.  It is the only big, flat, non-cluttered surface in the kitchen area.

Cut into three-inch sections.

How you roll your dough will determine how many Pop Tarts you end up with.  I made 14 Pop Tarts.

Place filling in the middle of the strips for the bottom layer. Brush with butter, then put a scoop of sugar mixture in middle and spread with spoon.


Filling:

• 3 T. butter, melted
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon

Using the other strip, place tops on PopTart pieces, pinching all the way around the sides to seal. Press a fork all around the sides then prick the centers to vent. Carefully transfer to a greased baking sheet using care not to tear the bottom.  This is a delicate operation.

Bake at 400-degrees approximately 15 minutes, switching oven racks halfway through baking. (Note: Start baking on the top rack then move the pan to the bottom rack after about 8 minutes.) Cool and top with icing.


Powdered Sugar Icing:

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 t. vanilla
• 1 or 2 t. milk
• A sprinkle of cinnamon

Combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (one to two teaspoons) for drizzling consistency.

This post is linked up with Tasty Tuesday.