Home Made Pop Tarts

My kids never like pop-tarts.  Actually they have only tried the organic versions and they could take them or leave them, no burning desire to eat them.  So I thought I would try out the beloved Joanne Chang's version to see if I could turn them around.  I am always scouting for an easy to serve breakfast and with school a month away...

I tolled for the perfect pastry and delighted with my results.  Their response, "oh it's a fancy jelly sandwich".  I did not make the glaze perhaps that was my mistake?

Homemade Pop-Tarts
from Joanne Chang

For the Pâte Brisée

1 3/4 cups (245 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

2 egg yolks

3 Tbs. cold milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup (340 grams) raspberry jam

~ Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment

~ mix together the flour, sugar, and salt for 10 to 15 seconds, or until combined

 ~ scatter the butter over the top

~ mix on low speed for 1 to 11/2 minutes, or just until the flour is no longer bright white and holds together when you clump it and lumps of butter the size of pecans are visible throughout

~ in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk until blended

~ add to the flour mixture all at once

~ mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the dough just barely comes together

~ it will look really shaggy and more like a mess than a dough.

~ dump the dough out onto an unfloured work surface, then gather it together into a tight mound

~ using your palm and starting on one side of the mound, smear the dough bit by bit, starting at the top of the mound and then sliding your palm down the side and along the work surface until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the dough comes together

~ do this once or twice on each part of the dough, moving through the mound until the whole mess has been smeared into a cohesive dough with streaks of butter

~ gather up the dough, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and press down to flatten into a disk about 1 inch thick

~ refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using. (The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month)

~ when you're ready to use the dough, position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F

~ remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half

~ press each half into a rectangle

~ on a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a 14-by-11-inch rectangle

~ using a round cookie cutter cut dough into circles and using a fork, lightly score the edges of the circles

~ brush the top surface of the entire scored rectangle with the egg

~ spoon 2 Tbs. of the jam in a mound in the center of each scored circle

~  lay the second large dough rectangle directly on top of the first

~ using fingertips, carefully press down all around each jam mound, so the pastry adhere to each other

~ place the circles, well spaced, on a baking sheet

~ bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops of the pastries are evenly golden brown.

~ let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for about 30 minutes

The pastries can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days

side note: I did not go for the traditional pop-tart rectangle due the possible excessive crust.