Strawberry Pop Tarts
These Pop-Tart inspired pastries are gluten free, packed with a sweet strawberry filling and topped with a bright pink glaze. I can’t help but feel like I should be sitting in my childhood living room, wearing my favourite PJ’s, watching Saturday morning cartoons. Is Animaniacs still on TV?
With or without the cartoons, these homemade gluten free pop tarts are the perfect weekend treat or breakfast (depending on your definition of breakfast).
Just some notes to keep in mind:
- The gluten free flour blend I used was from Gluten Free on a Shoestring. This has been the best, flakiest gluten free flour blend I’ve come across so far and I believe it’s similar to Better Batter All-Purpose Flour Mix. I would highly recommend making this blend at home (I’ve provided the recipe below) . Cup4Cup is another great option if you want to buy a pre-mixed flour blend. Other flour blends (higher in starch) seem to yield a unpleasant hard chewy crust.
- For a smooth fruit filling you can blend the filling as soon as the fruit has softened in the pot. If you have a hand blender you can do this right in the pot, otherwise you can place the warm (not hot!) filling in the blender. Return your fruit mixture back to the pot and simmer until thickened and jammy.
- Cold butter is key! I like to place my butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to making my dough. The idea if that you want to leave large pea sized pieces of butter in your dough which creates the flaky soft texture. The less you work this the dough the better.
Strawberry Pop Tarts
Bring back some childhood memories or make new ones with these sweet pastry pockets filled with strawberry fruit filled jam.
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- 420 g gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 168 g unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
- 250 g sour cream
- ice water as needed
Strawberry Filling
- 300 g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch kosher salt
Strawberry Glaze
- 100 g strawberry filling
- 100 g confectioners sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 126 g fine brown rice flour
- 126 g fine white rice flour
- 63 g tapioca starch
- 63 g potato or corn starch
- 21 g potato flour
- 12 g xanthan gum or guar gum
- 9 g powdered pectin
Instructions
Gluten Free Flour Blend
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum and pectin. set aside.
Strawberry Filling
- In a medium high sided pot, add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for approx 10-15 min until it reaches a jam-like consistency. It will continue to thicken once cooled.
Pastry Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, using your hands pinch together until pea-size pieces are formed. Add the sour cream and lightly knead together in the bowl until just combined. Only add 1-2 tsp of ice water if the dough isn't coming together. To test the dough, squeeze a small amount of dough; if it doesn't hold together, add more water. Separate the dough into two disc shaped balls and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for approx 30 min.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a pan with parchment or a silpat.Remove pastry dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to approx 1/8 inch thick and cut out 3 x 5 inch rectangles. You should get 8 -10 rectangles per dough ball. Repeat with the second dough ball.Egg wash the edges of the bottom rectangles and spoon one to two tablespoons of the strawberry filling into the centre of each rectangle.Prick the centres of the other 8 rectangles with a fork. Place rectangles carefully over the filling making sure non of the filling escapes. Press down the edges with your fingers and crimp with a fork.
Raspberry Glaze
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, reheat the strawberry filling until warm. Pass the strawberry filling through a sieve to remove the seeds.In a large bowl, whisk confectioners sugar, strawberry filling and water. If the glaze is too thick, add additional water 1 tsp at a time.