When you make your own pop-tarts at home, you can have any flavor you desire. Try these Cherry Apricot Hand Tarts for starters!
You know, I’ve never been much of a Ppo-Tart girl. I always thought that they were too dry or too sweet. Plus, I really don’t understand why they come in packs of two when one is all you can really eat. Am I alone here? Thankfully, it’s really easy to make your own version at home with just about any filling you can dream up. Nutella, classic strawberry, smores. YUM. But, today I’m sharing this summery seasonal favorite, Cherry Apricot Hand Tarts.
I love just perusing the grocery store to see what produce is looking good that day. I’m obsessed with Trader Joe’s and they always seem to have the seasonal goodies first. I spotted some beautiful Ranier cherries and ripe apricots just begging me to buy them. So I obliged. HINT #1: You know your apricot is ripe when you can easily pull it apart and the pit falls right out. HINT #2: Don’t do that while you’re in the grocery store. I already had some pie dough ready to go from my recent Rhubarb Rose Galette, so my mission was obvious. DIY Pop-Tarts. You could definitely use your favorite homemade pie dough for this, but I wanted to keep it as easy as possible since, with the alternative, you would just open the package and stick it in the toaster.
Have you ever made homemade Pop-Tarts? Check out this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts for more inspo! I can hear my husband begging for these now…
- 1 box prepared pie crust, two count
- [b]Filling[/b]
- 1 cup fresh Ranier cherries, pitted
- 1 cup fresh apricots, pitted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- [b]Egg Wash[/b]
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon water
- [b]Glaze[/b]
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkles, if desired
- In a small saucepan, stir together the cherries, apricots, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly. You may have to use a wooden spoon to break them up a bit.
- Lower the heat and whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the fruit, stirring constantly, until it is a thick, jam-like consistency.
- Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to cool completely.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 2 dough rounds into larger rectangles about 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 3×4 inch rectangles. You should get 12 total squares between both doughs.
- Gather the scraps of dough and re-roll to cut more rectangles if necessary.
- Place 6 rectangles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Whisk the egg and water together, then lightly brush the edges of the dough on the 6 rectangles. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each rectangle. (You may have some leftover, it’s perfect on toast) Lay another rectangle on top and crimp the edges with a fork. Continue with the remaining tarts.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush the tops of the tarts with the egg wash. Use a fork to poke small holes in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool a little before glazing.
- Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until it reaches a spreading consistency. If the glaze seems too thick you can add another teaspoon or two of milk. Use a spoon to glaze each tart and top with sprinkles, if desired.
