DIY Pop-Tarts. Seriously.

Karen Solomon's toaster tart with rhubarb-raspberry filling. Photo by Kim O'Donnel

For me, cooking is like breathing. There is no life without it.  Even when I’m not in the mood, I am always grateful for having made the effort to feed my body, mind and spirit. But I confess: Even a trained cook like myself falls into an occasional kitchen rut and the day-to-day meal prep can sometimes feel like a drag.

One of my tricks for keeping things fresh and interesting in my kitchen life is to explore the lesser-known sides of my cooking personality. Over the past few years, I’ve  become fascinated by DIY kitchen projects – and that does not mean tearing down walls.  Instead, it’s about making stuff that I never thought possible because we, as a culture, have become so accustomed to finding everything and anything on a supermarket shelf.

To that end, I’ve tinkered with marshmallows and tried my hand at candy corn. I’ve developed my own recipe for granola (and saved a bunch of money).  I’ve learned how to make English muffins in a cast-iron skillet. And lo and behold, I’ve whipped up ketchup and chocolate syrup without the high-fructose corn syrup.

Kitchen tinkering forces me to use my brain differently and takes me out of my comfort zone.  Without the worry of planning a meal, I let my hair down and put on my explorer cap.  I feel like a kid, giddy with anticipation. And I get time to recharge the culinary engine.

Imagine my delight upon learning about the new book, “Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It” by Karen Solomon, a woman after my own geeky heart. She cures her own bacon, cooks up hot sauce and yes indeed, makes her own Pop-Tarts.

For years, I’ve long wondered how I could turn those neon-pink frosted, foil wrapped toaster treats of my youth into something that didn’t resemble cardboard. Something that didn’t make your teeth tingle from all the sugar. Something that really tasted like pastry but was conveniently shaped to warm up in the toaster.

Thankfully, Miss Karen has made my 20-year-old dream come true. I’ve tested her recipe, and it’s a goodie, delivering on the buttery, flaky quotient, steering away from cardboard and oh yes, giving me a pastry designed for the toaster.

You’ll need about two hours to put these together, and it may end up being the best two hours you’ve spent in a while. The kids will love’em, but you may love’em more.

Toaster Tarts
From “Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It” by Karen Solomon
Ingredients
Dough
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup shortening (KOD note: I used a non-hydrogenated version by Earth Balance with great results)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 12/ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
5 tablespoons ice-cold water, plus more as needed

Icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons water

For assembling tarts
1 egg
5 tablespoons of your favorite jam, apple butter or lemon curd

Method
Chop butter and shortening into cubes and chill in freezer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, get your ingredients together for the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar and salt.

When fat is chilled, add and combine, using the “pulse” function. If working by hand, “cut” the fat into the flour mixture using two knives. Either way, you want coarse crumbs.

Add vinegar and water and combine using “pulse” function. Add more water, as necessary, but in 1 teaspoon increments, until dough holds together.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat together. Cut in half and shape each piece into a flat rectangle about ½-inch thick. Wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the icing: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and water, and stir to combine.

To assemble tarts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg in a small bowl for egg wash. You’ll need a pastry brush.

Remove one dough rectangle from the fridge and roll out on a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin, until it’s about 1/8-inch thick, maintaining the rectangle shape as much as possible.  You may return dough to fridge if it gets too soft.

Using a tape measure, make as many 3×4-inch rectangles as possible, cutting with a pizza cutter, knife or bench scraper. Estimate 10-12 tart rectangles (enough for 5-6 tarts) from one piece of dough.   Brush each rectangle cut-out with egg wash.

Find two similarly-sized pieces. Spoon 1 scant teaspoon of jam in center of 1 piece, smoothing it over the surface, with a ½-inch margin on all sides. Cover with its twin piece of dough — egg wash side down –  and with your hand, gently press on top to squeeze out air (careful for leaking filling).

With a fork, crimp edges of tart, and gently poke a few sets of air holes on the top. Brush with icing. Using scraper or a spatula, transfer tarts to an ungreased baking tray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or just until light brown, if you want to finish them off in the toaster oven. If not, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cooled, prebaked tarts keep in a sealable plastic bag for three months in the freezer. Toast when ready to eat.

Makes 10-12 treats.