Lover Pop-Tarts

These are the perfect treat for a girls’ night! All the girls will LOVE these pink, sweet Pop-Tarts. I made these this week for my boyfriend and I’s anniversary, as they also make cute little treats for your love. Taylor Swift mentioned she loved making Pop-Tarts, and so do I! I love making them in pretty shapes, and in her honor, these are the Lover Pop-Tarts.

How to Get the Flakiest Crust

The crust is what separates a good Pop-Tart from a truly irresistible one. That golden, flakey, melt-in-your-mouth bite comes down to a few simple techniques:

Keep Everything Cold: Cold butter makes such a difference. The little pockets of fat create steam as they bake, puffing up the pastry into flaky layers. Use chilled butter (or even freeze it for a few minutes before using). Chilling the dough between steps also keeps things cool.
Don’t Overwork the Dough : The more you knead and press, the tougher your crust becomes. Mix just until the flour and butter come together—streaks of butter are a good sign!
Rest the Dough: Letting your dough chill in the fridge (at least 30 minutes) relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to roll out. This step also keeps the butter firm for maximum flakiness.
Roll evenly, Not Thin: Roll your dough to about ⅛-inch thick. Too thin and it may crack or leak; too thick and it’ll be heavy instead of flaky.
Egg Wash for Shine – Brushing the tops with a light egg wash gives your Pop-Tarts that bakery-worthy golden finish

If you want to cheat a little, store-bought pie crust or puff pastry works too, but nothing beats homemade when it comes to buttery, flaky goodness.

Thickness of the Glaze

The glaze is the finishing touch. It’s what makes your homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts look cute and adds sweetness. Some tricks to get the best consistency:

Too Thin – If your glaze is watery, it will run off the pastry and pool on the plate. Add more powdered sugar to thicken.

Too Thick – On the other hand, if your glaze is paste-like, it won’t spread smoothly. Instead, it’ll clump and harden in uneven patches. To thin out, add more milk

Just Right – Aim for a texture similar to honey or school glue (sounds funny, but it works!). The glaze should drip slowly off a spoon, not run like water.

Importance of the Egg Wash

Don’t skip the egg wash—it’s the small step that makes a big difference! Brushing your Pop-Tarts with a whisked egg before baking does three important things:

Golden Color: The proteins in the egg brown beautifully in the oven, giving your pastry that golden color instead of a pale, dull finish.
Shiny Finish: An egg wash adds a light sheen that makes your Pop-Tarts look bakery-quality, even before the glaze goes on.
Better Seal: Brushing egg wash around the edges before pressing them closed helps glue the pastry together, reducing the chance of your strawberry filling bubbling out.

Lover Pop-Tarts

Print Recipe

Author: Alli
Yield: 10

Ingredients

Dough:

– 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

– 1 tbsp sugar

– 1 tsp salt

– 16 tbsp unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes

– 7 tbsp milk

– 10 tbsp strawberry preserves

Glaze:

– 1/2 cup powdered sugar

– 1 tbsp milk

– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

– one drop of pink food dye

– sprinkles for topping

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Instructions

1. In a food processor, mix flour and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until mixed, its ok if the butter still looks like little flakes

2. Add milk and pulse for 5 seconds

3. Roll into a ball and wrap in Saran Wrap. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Take it out of the fridge and roll it out thin using a rolling pin. Using the cookie cutters, cut out hearts. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, cutting into rectangles works just as well.

5. Make an egg wash by whisking an egg in a bowl with a fork. Brush each cut out with egg wash. Put about a tbsp (maybe even less) of strawberry in the center of a cut out, and place another cut out on top. Then with a fork, crimp the edges to seal. Repeat until you have all your Pop-Tarts cut out.

6. Place all the Pop-Tarts on the baking tray. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you take the Pop-Tarts out of the fridge, brush them with egg wash. Then bake for 20-25 minutes.

8. Allow Pop-Tarts to cool after baking for 20 minutes. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and food dye in a small bowl. Then, drizzle onto Pop-Tarts and sprinkle the sprinkles right after.

9. Enjoy! To store, keep in an airtight container for 3 days. Or freeze and heat up immediately from putting it into the toaster.