Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pop-Tarts
I usually bake a Strawberry Rhubarb pie every year when rhubarb season hits, because the pairing of strawberry with rhubarb is simply irresistible. But this year, to spice up my life, I decided to try making homemade strawberry rhubarb pop tarts instead. They did not disappoint. I made everything from scratch—including the flaky pie crust, strawberry rhubarb jam, and strawberry rhubarb frosting—which was a delicious labor of love.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, from the freezer
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup boiling water
For the strawberry rhubarb jam:
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 - 2 cups strawberries, chopped
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
For the frosting:
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk of choice
1 ½ tbsp strawberry rhubarb jam
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1/2 tbsp sugar
Directions:
Make the pie dough first. Make sure your butter and all-purpose flour are in the freezer getting cold. In a small bowl, mix together salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and boiling water. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Put this in the freezer, and pull out your butter and flour.
In a large bowl, mix together butter and flour using a bench scraper at first, and then your hands. Work quickly so that the ingredients don’t warm up too much. You want to break down the butter into the flour, so much so that you lose track of it. Once your butter is well-mixed in and broken down, add the apple cider vinegar mixture and continue kneading with your hands. Fight the urge to add more liquid—your dough may seem dry at first, but if you continue kneading it, it will form into a ball.
Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge while you make the jam.
To make the jam, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, juice from ½ lemon, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens up to a jam-like consistency. This will take about 20 minutes. Transfer to a separate container and let the jam cool completely.
While the jam cools, roll out your dough. Start by slicing the ball of dough in half, setting one half aside. On a floured surface, roll out half the dough into a rectangle that is ¼ inch thick. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Cut out a smaller rectangle that is roughly 3” x 5” and use that as your template to cut all others the same exact size. Re-roll the dough out as many times as necessary until you end up with eight rectangles. These will be the bottom crusts for your pop-tarts. I recommend setting these aside on a tray lined with parchment paper, while you repeat the process with the other half of your dough. You should have 16 identical rectangles total when you’re finished.
Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and ½ tbsp sugar.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Assemble your pop-tarts. On a tray lined with parchment paper, brush egg wash around the outside perimeter of 8 of your dough squares. These will be your bottom crusts, and the egg wash will help glue the top to the bottom.
Spoon roughly 1 ½ tablespoons of jam onto the center of each bottom crust. Make sure to save 1 ½ tbsp of jam for the frosting. Once you’re satisfied with the amount of jam in each pop-tart, spread it out into an even layer, leaving ½ inch of space around the perimeter of each crust.
Using a fork, poke holes in each of the top crusts, to allow the pop-tarts to vent while they bake in the oven. Then, place your top crusts over the bottom crusts. Use a fork and your fingers to seal the edges of each pop tart.
Brush each pop-tart with egg wash. Let them rest in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine powdered sugar, milk of choice, vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tbsp of jam in a medium bowl. Whisk until the frosting has a smooth consistency.
Once the pop-tarts are cool, frost them! Let the frosting set up for 15-20 minutes, until it hardens a bit.
ENJOY!!!