Apple Cinnamon Pop Tarts

Growing up my mum absolutely refused to buy us pop tarts. She said they were unhealthy and wouldn’t even think about putting them in our pantry. As an adult I of course couldn’t agree more with her reasoning, but as a child, all I wanted was to eat pop tarts. So being the adoring mother that she is, instead of buying them from the store, she vowed to make us a homemade version that she promised would taste “a million times better.”

Being the stubborn little mule that I was as a child, I at first refused to believe that a homemade version could possibly be as good as the store-bought ones. But once I could smell their sweet, fruity aroma coming from our oven, I knew ,as always, she was right.

I mean really, how can you compete with homemade buttery, flaky pie crust and juicy fruit filling? So next time your craving pop tarts, I challenge you to make your own – I promise you wont regret it.

Apple Cinnamon Pop Tarts with Cream Cheese Glaze

Makes 12 pop tarts

Things you need…

Pie crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water (+ up to 2 tbsp more if needed)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Apple Cinnamon Filling
4 granny smith apples, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Egg Wash
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp cream or milk
pinch of sugar

Cream Cheese Glaze
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

How to make…

Pie Crust

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add in the cold, cubed butter and gently toss the cubes to coat them in the dry ingredients. Slowly begin to work the butter into the flour with your fingers or with a pastry cutter until pea sized chunks of butter remain.

Next, drizzle the cold water mixed with lemon juice over top of the mixture and use a fork to gently toss the mixture until a ragged dough forms. Turn dough out onto a cool work surface and shape into two equal rectangles that are about 1 inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 – 60 minutes.

 

Apple Cinnamon Filling
Meanwhile, make your filling.

Place all ingredients into a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook until apples are fork tender and juices have thickened. Set aside to cool completely.

Assembly

Preheat your oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Once your pie dough has chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and set on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a rough rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut each rectangle into 12 equal rectangular pieces.

Set the cut pieces of pie dough onto prepared baking sheets – 12 per sheet – and brush the edges with egg wash. Spoon about 1 heaping tbsp of apple filling onto half of the dough cut outs. Place remaining dough cut outs on top of the pie filling and use a fork to press the edges down. Use a sharp knife to trim off any excess if necessary.

Brush the tops of each pop tart with egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar. Use a skewer to poke a few holes into the tops of the pop tarts. Place in the center rack of your oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until they are a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before glazing.

Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth and there are no lumps. Add in powdered sugar and beat on low until smooth. If your glaze is too stiff add in a bit more milk. Alternatively, if your glaze is too runny, add in a bit more powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time.

Once pies have cooled for 10 minutes, drizzle the glaze over top and enjoy!