Fall

Whole Wheat Strawberry Pop Tarts Revisited

by:
June  3, 2010
5
2 Ratings
Whole Wheat Strawberry Pop Tarts Revisited
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

I've recently seen some homemade pop tarts in magazines (like the April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit) and on food blogs (like Smitten Kitchen). I was a big fan of these as a child but haven't had one in years, so of course I wanted to make some. I tried the dough in the Bon Appetit article but found it to be too buttery (yes, there is such a thing). So I set out to create my own dough. After a couple of tries, I decided that the one below is my favorite. It's not at all terrible for you and it's really easy to work with. If you don't want to use spelt flour, you can try this with all purpose unbleached white flour or with whole wheat bread flour. As for the filling, I experimented with a few different strawberry jams, but the best one by far was Amanda's Preserved Strawberries with Chilies. If you're making these for kids or if you don't like the idea of spicy strawberry jam, though, feel free to use your favorite jam (Nutella is also good as a filling for these!). They're best a short time after they come out of the oven (though you can certainly reheat before serving). —WinnieAb

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 cups spelt flour
  • 2 tablespoons organic sugar
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 stick organic unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt or real buttermilk
  • approximately 1 cup of strawberry jam (I used Amanda's Preserved Strawberries with Chilies)
  • approximately 3 tablespoons of melted butter, for brushing the dough
  • organic sugar for sprinkling the dough
Directions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until the dough comes together. Divide dough in half, flatten each ball into a disc, and wrap in plastic or parchment paper. Chill several hours or overnight.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or use a silpat). Flour your surface and roll one disc out into a large rectangle. Trim the edges (reserving the extra dough to roll out again with the next disc) so you have a rectangle that is approximately 9 or 10 inches by 12 inches. Cut the large rectangle into 8 smaller and equal rectangles.
  3. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling on each of 4 rectangles. Try not to just plop it right in the center- spread it down the length of each piece of dough (but keep it in the center, so that you can seal up the dough on all sides).
  4. Lay the other pieces of dough on top of the ones with the filling. Use your finger to press the edges down, then use the tines of a fork to press firmly around all the edges. It's important that the pop tarts are sealed well, so a lot of the jam doesn't come oozing out (a little might, and that's fine). Repeat with the other disc of dough so that you have 8 pop tarts.
  5. Poke a few holes into each pop tart with a fork or a toothpick and then arrange on your baking sheet. Place the pop tarts in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Remove from the refrigerator and brush each pop tart with melted butter. Sprinkle each one all over with organic sugar.
  7. Bake the pop tarts for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the pop tarts to cool on a rack before serving.
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WinnieAb
I grew up in a restaurant family (my parents owned the now closed Quilted Giraffe in NYC) and I've always loved to cook. My interest in the connection between food and health led me to pursue a graduate degree in naturopathic medicine. I don't practice medicine anymore; I have a blog called Healthy Green Kitchen that I started in May of 2009 and I wrote a book called One Simple Change that will be published in January, 2014. I live in upstate New York with my family and many pets.

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16 Reviews

emofly
emofly June 11, 2010
Thanks for the shout out and for trying our recipe, WinnieAb. Your picture is gorgeous. I'll have to try this version! -Emily, Bon Appetit web editor
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 11, 2010
Hi Emily,
In all honestly, my kids absolutely LOVED the BA version. It was me who found the dough too buttery...just couldn't rationalize them as breakfast! I hope you do try this version, and that you like it, and thanks so so much for the sweet comment about the photo!
 
Mindy
Mindy June 10, 2010
I can't find Amanda's recipe for strawberry preserves with chilies - can somebody point me in the right direction?
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 10, 2010
Mindy,
Here's the link: http://www.food52.com/blog/745_preserved_strawberries_with_chiles
 
Kitchen B.
Kitchen B. June 10, 2010
Superb....I too search for it to no avail and had to go back pages, till I found it. Thanks
 
Mindy
Mindy June 10, 2010
thank you - i didn't realize there were recipes hiding in the blog too! they escape the search and save functions.
 
testkitchenette
testkitchenette June 4, 2010
Pop Tarts were banned in my house when I was young (don't worry I scarfed them down like I'd never seen food before at my friends' houses)...these look wonderful...I'd never ask you to stop making them!
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 4, 2010
aw, thanks!
 
monkeymom
monkeymom June 3, 2010
yum yum YUM! Hmmm....I'm thinking nutella. Much less healthy though.
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 4, 2010
I'm working on a healthier nutella...will post the recipe when it's finished!
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin June 3, 2010
These sound great, Winnie. Would they qualify as gluten free?
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 3, 2010
Thanks! No, they are not gluten-free, though...wheat-free, yes.
 
Margy@hidethecheese
Margy@hidethecheese June 3, 2010
I've been thinking of making pop tarts at home, too. I haven't used spelt flour -- what does it add?
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 3, 2010
I like it and use it a lot. It's more nutritious than wheat flour and is good for people with wheat sensitivities. You can certainly use unbleached white flour or wheat flour, though...I've done it with those, too...
 
WinnieAb
WinnieAb June 3, 2010
I got obsessed and made them so many times in the last few weeks that my kids requested I stop. Hope your family enjoys them, and they're easy and fun to make together...
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld June 3, 2010
I was so thinking about this. I have been picking two to three lbs a day and my kids will love these.