Guilt Free Pop Tarts

Now, it's not what you are thinking. They're still full of sugar and fat, but I can guarantee that you will be able to pronounce every ingredient used. I can't say the same for the commercial ones of our childhood. That's why you can have a guilt free conscience serving these tasty treats to your children for a weekend brunch.

I decided to make these for just that occasion - a Sunday brunch with some very good friends. I thought the kiddies would love to eat these plum and strawberry preserve pop tarts while the grown-ups feasted on eggs, bacon, french toast and fruit. Well, the pop tarts were enjoyed, but by the grown ups and not the kids. I can't say that the kids didn't like them because we finished them off before they even had a chance to try them.

The recipe is a basic butter pastry that encompasses a fruit preserve. You can use any filling you want, but since Ontario strawberries were in full force, I wanted to take advantage. I just adore plums as well and find that the tartness really balanced out the flavour.



Pop Tarts
(as adapted from epicurious.com)

Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour plus additional for shaping and rolling
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons ice water
12 tablespoons fruit preserves
Powdered sugar

Preparation
Whisk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips or back of fork, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water by tablespoonfuls, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half; shape each half into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on floured surface to about 13x11 inches. Trim to 12x10-inch rectangle, then cut into eight 5x3-inch rectangles.

Arrange 4 rectangles, spaced apart, on each sheet. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons preserves in row down center of each rectangle. Top preserves with second dough rectangle. Using fingertips, gently press all edges of each tart to seal; press all edges with tines of fork to double-seal. Using toothpick, poke a few holes in center of top dough rectangle. Cover; freeze tarts on sheets at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake frozen tarts uncovered until golden, reversing sheets after 15 minutes, 25 to 30 minutes total (some preserves may leak out). Immediately transfer tarts to rack. Sift powdered sugar lightly over.