If you ever get the chance to take a cooking class with Rebecca Rather, you gotta do it. And the same holds true for being in the same room as David Lebovitz. You won’t be sorry.
I’ve taken two cooking classes with The Pastry Queen recently and walked away from the last class with my husband’s new go-to breakfast: homemade pop tarts. At the Rather Sweet Bakery, homemade pop tarts are all the rage. They’re served as dessert with a scoop of ice cream. Yum! In this house, we’re mostly eating them for breakfast. And as mid-afternoon snacks. And possibly one was snagged from the cake plate and called dessert.
The Foodie Groom and I had a chance to chat with Rebecca Rather after class for a few minutes. We talked pop tarts, Project Pastry Queen, and olive oil. She is busy, busy, busy working on the accompanying cookbook for a PBS documentary about olive oil production (Texas Olive Trails). We agreed that I would make and blog her pop tart recipe, so here it is. Like all of the goodies at Rather Sweet, it’s a by-hand recipe but I’ve added notes where Cuisinart and I might have automated it just a tad 🙂
I have been making half the batch peach and the other half fig. They’re incredibly flaky – nothing this good could ever come out of a box. And no weird ingredients that send you running to Google. I’ve been baking a batch every weekend since getting my hands on the recipe… when they run out, it’s cereal for breakfast again.
Is there anything better than a warm, flaky pastry crust? If you want “authentic,” mix 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with just enough water (think teaspoons) to make a thick glaze. Spoon over the still warm pop tarts.
Homemade Pop Tarts
Nothing beats a fresh, homemade pop tart filled with your favorite fruits and preserves.
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (cold)
- 4 Tbsp ice water
- 12-14 Tbsp good quality peach preserves/jam (or other favorite fruit)
- 2 cups chopped peaches
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add butter and mix with fingers until it resembles coarse meal.
- Add ice water and mix lightly and form into a ball.
- Or, shred the cold sticks of butter with your food processor. Remove the grater attachment and place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. Add the the dry ingredients to the bowl fitted with the dough blade and pulse a few times to mix. While running, add ice-cold water by the Tablespoon just until the dough mostly forms a ball. (You might need a little more water.)
- Divide in half; shape each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll 1 disk at a time on a floured surface to about 13x11 inches. Trim to 12x10 and cut into 5x3-inch rectangles.
- Place 4 rectangles on each baking sheet. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of preserves onto the center and top with chopped peaches.
- Cover with second dough rectangle and gently press the edges to seal.
- Crimp edges with a floured fork and poke a few holes on top.
- Cover tarts and freeze for 2 hours or up to 1 week (I froze overnight and then baked the next morning).
- Whisk egg and water and brush over tarts right before baking.
- Bake frozen tarts at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Sift powdered sugar over tarts or frost with powdered sugar icing. I bake the entire batch at once. I supposed you could bake them fresh every morning but it's hot. I keep the oven use to a minimum. Plus, they keep really well in a covered cake plate on the counter for 4 days. 2 people + 8 pop tarts = 4 days.
Notes
Yields: 8 Servings
Estimated time: 4 hours
Nutritional Information
Calories: 275.8 | Fat: 23.1 | Fiber 2
WW Points: 7
You’re right — homemade pop tarts are fabulous! I’ve been making them for about a year but can’t keep them around because they are so addictive. I have a semi-related question about Rebecca Rather, whose recipes and cookbooks I love. (You are so fortunate to be able to take classes there, BTW!) Did you notice in your class how she measures her flour? Her books don’t specify a weight per cup so inquiring minds (who scale their ingredients) would LOVE to know if she does the “scoop and sweep” or “spoon and sweep.” Thanks!
She doesn’t weigh her flour. I believe her exact words were “Baking isn’t *that* exact,” when asked how she weighs her flour. She says she never levels off dry ingredients, it’s always a rounded scoop. She’s only exact when making bread.
Oh dear…we’re completely in love with these! Well we’re shamefully fans of regular old Pop Tarts…but homemade peach tarts?! Yipes! Amazing! We are definitely going to be making these…!
These look so amazing! I’ve been wanting to make homemade pop tarts for a while, and this is just hte push I need to finally do it!
PS-Thanks for listing me on your favorites! That’s so sweet and totally made my day! 🙂
These are great! I confess, though, I lost all self control and bought a box of strawberry Pop-Tarts the other day after not having them for years. They weren’t as good as I remembered, though, but I bet these taste incredible!
How cool that you got to chat with Rebecca Rather! I’ve been to her bakery in Fredericksburg many times and always find something (actually many things) incredibly yummy to munch on. These homemade pop tarts look equally delicious!
I love pop tarts but I’m not able to eat them because they have dairy in them. I took down the recipe so I can make them now. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to try them.
I bet these beat the packaged kind to pieces!
these look awesome! my newest blog post is also pop tarts–brilliant minds think alike ;). found you through foodgawker.
I am in a pop tart state of mind at the moment! I will try this crust. Looks yummy!
Strangely enough, a few days ago I was telling my fiance that I need to learn how to make pop tart at home since I hate those store bought ones! So thanks for “reading my mind” and post this wonderful recipe! That’s very interesting that Rebecca Rather doesn’t think that “baking isn’t ‘that’ exact”! I honestly haven’t heard any other professional pastry chef made such a statement! Maybe it’s a matter of personal experience…who knows!
Thanks for sharing and for posting!
I have seen pop tarts being made but am yet to make my own. Yours look so fabulous I may just be tempted!
Oh. my. goodness. I’ve got to make these!
Ohhh I’m going to add this recipe to ‘must try’. They look delish!!!!
These look great! I used to work in a restaurant which served homemade pop-tarts daily, these however could knock those outta the water! Great job!
That looks really good! I made the King Arthur ones but I don’t remember them being that flaky, taste was great though! I’ve printed your version. Can’t wait to try!
That is one flaky pop-tart. I’ve never made one, or even eaten one! It looks delicious! Bookmarked.
So strange! I was just thinking to myself the other that I needed to make homemade pop tarts!! I can’t wait to try these out!
These look great! Question- can you freeze them and pop them in the toaster when you want them?
I am in the process of making these. I am making them with Strawberry jam. Cannot wait to taste them.
I was just sitting here munching down on some frosted cherry pop-tarts when I started wondering if they come in peach flavor. I googled this and happened upon this recipe. It’s looks so yummy that I’m going to have to break out the rolling pin. I haven’t baked in years but this makes me want to start up again:)
These look amazing. I have a pastry maker/pop tart maker from Bella. Do you think these would work in there?
http://Www.bellahousewares.com
I don’t have any experience with pop tart makers but I’m assuming they’d work just fine.