Crisp & nostalgic, Alton Brown's DIY pop tarts combine store-bought jelly and homemade pastry for a flavorful take on a breakfast classic.

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: Baking, Comfort Food, Desserts, Hacks, Pop Goes the Tart, Snacks

Pop Goes the Tart

Name: Pop Goes the Tart
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup vegetable shortening; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup jam, fruit butter, or preserves; 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, for egg wash; 1 cup confectioners' sugar, optional; 2 tablespoons whole milk, optional

ACTIVE TIME: 40

TOTAL TIME: 2 20

Yield: 8 servings

Flaky homemade dough and store-bought jam combine forces in my copycat pop tart recipe.

When I was a kid, I had an affinity for prepackaged pastries filled with fruity goodness and designed to slide down the gullet of a toaster. A few years ago, while feeling nostalgic, I picked some up at the local megamart and realized they tasted...horrible. Clearly, my tastes had changed.

Instead of giving up on the breakfast treat I once so enjoyed, I decided to make them myself. After much trial and error, here's the result — and a fine result it is.

Both U.S. standard and metric measurements are listed, but for consistent results, go metric.

Photo by Lynne Calamia

Read Less

Software

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam, fruit butter, or preserves
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, for egg wash
1 cup confectioners' sugar, optional
2 tablespoons whole milk, optional

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale

ACTIVE TIME: 40

TOTAL TIME: 2 20

Yield: 8 servings

Procedure

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and vegetable shortening on medium speed until light. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour in three installments, alternating with three installments of the milk. Add the vanilla during the last milk installment.
Form the dough into a log and place widthwise onto a 13-by-17-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper, and fold the paper over the dough. Using a half-sheet pan as a wedge, roll the dough into a log. This procedure tightens the log into a clean cylinder. Remove the waxed paper and slice dough into 16 (2-inch) rounds. Place on the half-sheet pan, cover, and chill for 1 hour.
Set two racks in the middle third of the oven and heat to 350ºF.
After the dough has chilled, roll each round outThink of this as more of a cookie dough — don’t worry about working it too much. to a 5- to 6-inch circle between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Fold over the edges of each round to create a rectangle. Roll out each rectangle to abut 1/4-inch thickness.
Match the 16 rectangles into 8 matching pairs. Brush one rectangle with the egg wash and top with 1 tablespoon of the jam, fruit butter, or preserves, spreading into an even layer about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with another pastry rectangle. Use a fork to seal the tart by crimping the edge. Gently prick the top of the tart with the fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bake for 25 minutes on a parchment paper-lined half-sheet pan until the edges just begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy warm, or cool thoroughly before storing in a zip-top bag for up to 1 week. Leftovers can be reheated in your friendly neighborhood toaster.
If you want to frost your tarts, slowly whisk the confectioners’ sugar and whole milk together in a small bowl. Paint the mixture onto the cooled tarts. Allow to dry before stacking, storing, and snarfing.