cherry poptarts
Ingredients:
2 pre-made or store bought pie crust of your choice (I used this GF recipe https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-strawberry-homemade-pop-tarts/ but I caution you, gluten free dough is not for the faint of heart! Gluten keeps things together, and without it, the dough can be very challenging! Store bought dough will do just fine and give you the same satisfying crumble.
Filling:
2 c pitted cherries
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Glaze:
2 tbsp prepared cherry filling
1 tbsp water or lemon juice
1 1/2 c powdered sugar (or more for thicker preference)
Splash of vanilla
Instructions:
Cold crust will be easier to handle/less likely to fall apart on you. Keep your crust in the freezer until you preheat your oven.
To prepare your filling, mix cherries, maple syrup, lemon juice and pinch of salt to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce to simmer and add cornstarch/water mixture to thicken. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes or until you’ve achieved desired texture (the longer you cook the softer the cherries become/the smoother the filling).
Transfer filling to a glass bowl and allow to cool before using (you can refrigerate to expedite the process).
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and remove your pie crust from the freezer.
While filling cools, place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle the parchment with flour and add one piece of your dough, flouring the top as well. (Don’t be afraid; the more flour you use, the better off you will be. Otherwise the dough will be come sticky and may fall apart on you).
Using a rolling pin, roll your dough into a large rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut your dough into 8 rectangles (cleaning up any edges as needed). Store entire baking sheet in the refrigerator.
Repeat the same steps with your second piece of dough.
Spoon 1-2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the first 8 rectangles. Use the back of a spoon to spread, but leave a nice boarder of dough to ensure your filling stays in sight of your tart.
Once you have added your filling, gently top with a rectangle from the second batch of dough. Use a fork to carefully crimp the edges together.
Prick the top of each pastry with a fork to vent while baking (as you would a pie).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire baking rack to cool.
While tarts cool, whisk icing ingredients in together.
Once poptarts have cooled, drizzle with prepared icing - allowing icing to harden for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
