Love Letters

These homemade pop tarts are so fun to make because you can make them whatever shape you’d like! Do keep in mind that you have to fill the shape with jam so you want to make sure that there is enough of a “pocket” when you put the top and bottom together. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I used a heart and X + O cookie cutters.

You can make your pie crust from scratch but let’s be honest … as a busy mom of three, I could use a few shortcuts that still fall into the “healthier” category. So I use the following:

INGREDIENTS

Immaculate Baking Pie Crust

Red Raspberry Jam (you can use any flavor but red raspberry is a fam fav. Also, I use SEEDLESS jam because seeds inside a pop tart would send my kids running the other way!

Powered Sugar

Milk

Optional food coloring / sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Take pie crust out approx 20 min before using and set on counter

Roll out pie crust and use a rolling pin to make the crust thinner

Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes (kids LOVE this part!) and you need an even # of cut outs because you need a top and a bottom to your pop tart

Using a pastry knife, spread jam over bottom half of your shapes

Use remaining shapes to top the jam covered shapes

Using a fork, press the sides together to seal

(you are probably suppose to brush the tops with an egg white wash, but I am the short cut cook so I skip this part)

Bake in oven at 375 for approx 8 -10 min – The box says 400 but I found when baking shapes like X + O’s, it helps to turn the temp down a little

Remove from oven and let cool

Meanwhile, mix 1 cup powered sugar with enough milk to make a spreadable consistency … I totally eyeball this process but start with approx 1/8 cup milk and go from there

You can either just let your kids use pastry knives to spread the icing over the shapes or fill a pastry bag (or zip loc bag) with icing, cut the tip off and have fun icing.