Homemade Poptarts

One of Mike's absolutely favorite things to eat is a poptart.  It's a very rare day when you don't find our pantry stocked with boxes of various flavors of poptarts.  He eats one package a day for his breakfast or first break at work, so you know we go through the boxes quite quickly. 

I decided that since Mike eats poptarts so frequently, he should probably have a slightly healthier version to enjoy.  They're so simple to make, just pie crust smeared with jam or cinnamon sugar or Nutella (my personal favorite), baked and topped with a powdered sugar icing.  It took a little over an hour to put these together (including time to chill the dough), but it was certainly worth it to know that Mike was getting a healthier snack.  And his verdict on the homemade poptarts--delicious!  We'll definitely be making these over and over again :)

Homemade Poptarts

Makes about 12 poptarts (actual amount varies based on the size of your poptarts)

You will need:
2-1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
8 to 10 Tablespoons cold water
1 cup strawberry jam (or any other filling you desire), you may need more or less filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tablespoons milk

1.  Combine flour, sugar, and salt.

2.  Cut in shortening until crumbly.

3.  Gradually add water and stir until a ball forms.

4.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, until it's easy to handle.

5.  Divide dough into 2 sections.  Return one to the fridge and place one on a flour covered surface.

6.  Roll dough into a rectangle, about 1/8" thick.

7.  Using a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife), cut dough into rectangles approximately 3" by 5".

8.  Spread jam in the center of a rectangle, leaving about 1/4" uncovered around the edges. 

9.  Place another piece of dough on top of the jam covered piece.  Seal using the tines of a fork.  Place on a greased baking sheet.

10.  Repeat steps 8 & 9 for remaining dough rectangles and then repeat steps 6-9 with remaining dough.

11.  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

12.  While poptarts are cooling, mix together powdered sugar and milk to make an icing. Spread over cooled poptarts and top with sprinkles, if desired.

There are so many variations on this recipe!  I made a Nutella stuffed poptart with chocolate sprinkles, strawberry jam stuffed poptart with red sprinkles, and cinnamon sugar stuffed poptart with a brown (from a tiny bit of cocoa powder) icing.  I think the possibilities are quite endless and I'd love to know what versions you love!