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Frosted lemon pop tarts on a metal cooling rack.

LEMON POP TARTS

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5 from 8 reviews

Description

Homemade lemon pop tarts are delicious, exciting and fun! They feature irresistible lemon frosting and candy sprinkles. Make them from scratch, or with refrigerated pie crusts and a jar of lemon curd. 

Ingredients

Units Scale

PASTRY DOUGH – 2 OPTIONS

HALFWAY HOMEMADE: 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 count)

HOMEMADE PASTRY DOUGH

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) cold salted butter, diced into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup ice-cold water, approximate (add it gradually)

LEMON FILLING – 2 OPTIONS

HALFWAY HOMEMADE: 1 12.7-ounce jar lemon curd

HOMEMADE LEMON FILLING

  • 4 large egg yolks (no whites)
  • 2 large whole eggs
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 – 5 Meyer lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (the clear type)

FROSTING

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

SPRINKLES

  • Sprinklefetti, or your own homemade sprinkle mix

Instructions

HOMEMADE LEMON FILLING

HOMEMADE PASTRY DOUGH

RECIPE PREP: Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour cold water over the top. Put it aside for 15 minutes. 

  1. Add flour and granulated sugar to the bowl of a food processor. (If no food processor, see “Notes” for instructions.) Pulse briefly to combine. Add chopped pieces of butter to the bowl.
  2. Pulse until no chunks of butter are visible and the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  3. Add ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in clumps. The dough should not come together into a ball. When pressed between your fingers it should be moist, but not wet and crumbly. With a spatula, check the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure there are no dry pockets of flour. If there are, add a bit more water and pulse again.
  4. Remove dough from the bowl and divide it in half. Shape each half into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap each piece in plastic. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour (or overnight).

POP TART ASSEMBLY

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly flour a large board and a rolling pin. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Find a ruler. Pull out a long, sharp kitchen knife.

  1. Remove 1 disk of homemade dough (OR 1 refrigerated pie crust) from the fridge and unwrap it. Transfer it to the prepared board. It’s important to work quickly.
  2. Roll the dough into a rough 10″ X 13″ rectangle, 1/8-inch thick. Use your ruler to measure. Trim the dough into a perfect 9″ x 12″ rectangle. Slice the rectangle into nine 3″ x 4″ pieces. Gently lift and transfer the pieces to a prepared baking tray, leaving room between the rectangles.
  3. In a ramekin, whisk the egg with a splash of water. Brush egg wash around the edges of each rectangle (this will glue the top and bottom pieces of the pastry together). Add 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon filling in the middle of each rectangle. Do not overfill. Leave an empty border around the edges so we can close and seal the pop tarts.
  4. Repeat the rolling and slicing process with the second disk of dough. Arrange the 9 pieces on top of the filling-topped rectangles. With your fingertips, press firmly around the edges of each pastry to seal it closed. With the back of a fork, crimp all the edges to secure the filling inside. Poke a set of 4 holes on the top of each pop tart so steam can escape. If time allows, chill the pastries in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  5. Brush the top of each hand pie with egg wash. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (rotating the pan halfway through baking), or until the pop tarts are golden blonde. Cool completely before frosting.
  6. Make the frosting. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice. Working with 1 pastry at a time, spread icing over the top. Immediately decorate with candy sprinkles. 

Equipment

Notes

How to assemble dough without a food processor: Put butter in the freezer for 1 hour. Grate the cold butter on a cheese grater. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in the butter (with a pastry cutter or fork) until the mixture resembles course meal. Add ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Divide in half. Shape each into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Expert Tip: Only frost and sprinkle the pop tarts you’ll be serving today. Refrigerate the remaining unfrosted pastries in an airtight container for up to 6 days, and the frosting in a separate container. When ready to enjoy, bring frosting to room temperature. Then reheat toaster pastries on a baking tray in a 350°F oven (NOT in a slotted toaster) for 10 minutes. Frost and decorate the pop tarts.

  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • 1 Hour Chill Time (If Homemade Dough):
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://www.confettiandbliss.com/lemon-pop-tarts/