Description
Delectable homemade heart-shaped strawberry pop tarts blend sweet nostalgia with romantic charm. Flaky pastry, fresh strawberry filling, and delicate pink glaze promise a delightful treat for special moments. You will fall in love with this charming dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (150 g) strawberry jam
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 45 tbsps ice water
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsps milk or heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop or 2 pink or red food coloring (optional)
- heart-shaped sprinkles
- sanding sugar
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Butter Integration: Cut cold butter into the flour mixture using fingertips or a pastry tool until the texture resembles coarse sand, creating a crumbly consistency.
- Dough Formation: Add ice water gradually, mixing until the dough coheres. Divide into two portions, wrap in film, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Filling Creation: Combine strawberry jam, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan, heating and stirring until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy and smooth.
- Dough Shaping: Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, cutting out heart-shaped pastry bases using a cookie cutter.
- Assembly and Filling: Position half of the heart-shaped dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing a precise dollop of cooled strawberry filling in the center of each piece.
- Sealing and Preparation: Dampen edges with water, overlay matching heart-shaped dough cutouts, and crimp edges with a fork to create a tight seal. Pierce small ventilation holes on top using a knife tip.
- Baking Process: Preheat oven to 375F. Bake pop tarts for 18-20 minutes until edges turn golden-brown, then briefly rest on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Glaze and Decoration: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and optional food coloring to create a smooth glaze. Once pop tarts cool completely, drizzle glaze and sprinkle with heart-shaped decorations while the glaze remains wet.
Notes
- Perfect Butter Incorporation: Use extremely cold butter and work quickly to maintain small, visible butter chunks, which create flaky, tender pastry layers during baking.
- Prevent Soggy Bottoms: Dust the baking sheet with a light layer of cornmeal or semolina to enhance bottom crispness and prevent moisture absorption.
- Filling Consistency Control: Allow strawberry filling to cool completely before assembling pop tarts, preventing potential dough softening and ensuring clean, defined edges.
- Glaze Application Technique: Apply glaze when pop tarts are completely cool to prevent melting and ensure a smooth, professional-looking finish that sets cleanly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg