homemade pop-tarts

I've seen this recipe on a couple food blogs that I follow and just had to make it. I used to eat pop-tarts all the time as a kid, but have stopped due to the fact that the ingredients list is a mile long with all kinds of chemicals and preservatives that I cannot pronounce (but they taste soooo good!).

I was really nervous that these wouldn't turn out since I used whole wheat flour instead of white and Smart Balance buttery spread instead of real butter. But they were delicious!

Here they are when I pulled them out of the oven. You can see the yummy filling oozing out of some of them.

I made 3 cherry ones (cherry jam), 2 peanut butter chocolate ones (peanut butter and 3 to 4 chocolate chips), and 1 fig one (homemade fig preserves). The random rolls are cherry.





Speaking of random rolls, you're probably wondering what they are. I had extra dough, but not enough for a pop-tart, and didn't want to waste it so I rolled em up!




Gorgeous beauties! I sprinkled the top with some splenda to give it extra sweetness. I also love their rustic, imperfect look.

I also utilized my amazing 4-in-1 cake dome that my dear friend Emily Ann gave me.





This is me taking a bite. I made a little glaze to go on top. Just a little cream and confectioners sugar. Notice the filling oozing out on the right.





Look at that cherry goodness. I wish we still had some left. David loved them too, so they went quick! They came out a lot thicker than Kellogg's, but I liked it that way.




Time to make some more!

I made chick pea burgers tonight for dinner and they were so good....better and more flavorful than a meat burger! Recipe to come soon!

Homemade Pop-Tarts

2 cups + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar or splenda
1 cup very cold butter or buttery spread (I used smart balance)
4 tablespoons very cold water
Your favorite type of filling (jam, preserves, fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate chips, nutella, etc)

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter and use fingers to mix in until it looks like coarse meal. Splash in the cold water and form into a ball. Be sure to put flour on your hands and the surface the dough is on because it is very sticky.

Divide the dough ball in half and make each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for one hour.

Once chilled, roll one disc on a floured surface to approximately 13 x 11 inches. If it is not exactly 13 x 11 inches, the whole thing is completely ruined. Just kidding. Then do the same with the other disc.

Trim the dough into small 5 x 3 rectangles. Or about the size of a Kellogg's Pop-Tart.

Place four rectangles onto a non-stick baking sheet and place a heaping tablespoon of your favorite filling onto each rectangle.

Cover each rectangle with it's other half and seal them by crimping the edges with a fork. Poke a few holes on top, too.

Cover the tarts and freeze overnight. Trust me, the wait is well worth it!

The next morning, when you're ravenous for breakfast, bake the yummy tarts at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Just keep an eye on them. Pull them out when they're golden brown. Your kitchen will smell like sweet goodness!

You can top them with whatever you want. Icing, confectioners sugar, nutella, etc. The possibilities are endless!