The Pop Tart- AKA Dessert As Breakfast

I am a firm hater of the Pop Tart.  All it took was one exposure to this item that can only be described as sugar, dye and icing rolled into a "breakfast pastry" to get my kids hooked.  Jacob especially is obsessed with them.  If you decide to be "healthier" and get the fruit filled ones with no icing, you're still looking at 2-4 food dyes, corn syrup as the third ingredient, and more artificial fruit flavorings than real fruit.  And by the way, were you aware the artificial raspberry filling and vanilla flavorings are made with dried beaver testicles!!!  YUCK.  But, these little sugar bombs are utilized by a lot of moms who are looking to get the most important meal of the day into their child quickly and sometimes even mobile.  These are the primary reasons I had to develop a homemade version.  There needed to be a way to simplify these pop tarts so they were still mobile, still yummy but at least cleaner.

I am not going to advocate for the serving of these pastries as a breakfast.  If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, look for items with more complex grains, energy inducing ingredients.  For example, I'll have a recipe for a sweet oat bread this week that will knock their socks off- AND make you feel good based off the ingredients.  However, if your child is BEGGING for pop tarts, here's a recipe you can feel better about.  I recommend using these babies as desserts and treats rather than a main course. :)

Ingredients:

Crust
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
1 tsp salt.

Assembly
1 egg beat with 1 tsp water
Filling of choice: homemade jelly or jam, nutella, etc

Cut butter into 1 inch blocks and drop in mixer bowl.  Add flour and toss the butter to coat it as much as possible.  Pop mixer bowl into the freezer.  Next, mix the salt into the apple cider vinegar.  Stir enough to make the salt dissolve.  Move the cider to the freezer also.  Chill for 10 minutes.  Next, move the mixer bowl back to your stand mixer and turn it on low.  Let it mix into a crumbly mixture (approx 30 seconds) and add the vinegar/salt mixture.  It will be about 30-50 seconds before this becomes a recognizable dough.  Move the dough to a floured surface and press together.  Divide it into two sections and place each in a piece of wax paper.  Wrap each piece and squish it to a disc.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours- up to 3 days.

When the dough has chilled properly, roll it out on your floured counter with a rolling pin.  You can choose to make any shape tart you want.  I like circles because they're smaller that way and are easily mobile.  Use a cookie cutter or butter knife to cut out what you're wanting your shape to be. Put one down and brush lightly with egg mixture.  Put a small amount (1 tsp approx) of filling in center of dough and place another piece of dough on top.  Press edges together.  I like to seal mine with a fork.  Brush tart with the egg mixture again.  Place on parchment paper coated pan.  When finished filling pan, bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before serving.
Warning****Filling will still be hot when the outside is cool to the touch.


I'm not sure how long these last because they didn't survive a full 24 hours in my house.  We went to the commissary the other day, and Jacob didn't even ask for Poptarts for the first time I can remember. And that, is what I call a win!