Blueberry Lemon Pop-Tarts
IT’S FRIDAY, IT’S FRIDAY. I’m the happiest girl in the world because I have just survived one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in forever. Remember last week when I said I needed to slow down a little, stop and smell the roses for a minute? Well let’s just give that notion a big fat LOL, because my life is moving along at 90 MPH and there’s not a thing I know to do about it.
First, we celebrated Aimee’s birthday. Not surprisingly, it was the most adorable thing ever. She takes so much joy in every intentional act of love towards her, and it made loving on her all the more fun. Every gift, every cupcake, every rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song put the cutest little smile in between those squishy chipmunk cheeks, and the look on her face, that bubbling over of joy, made this Mama red-nosed and teary eyed. Also, any kid that chooses to celebrate their birthday looking like a straight-up diva is a queen in my book. Just look at her all jazzed up.
After the birthday festivities were over, I went into full-on house mode. Remember how I said we were building a house? Well, we’re actually really close to being done. Like, so close that I’m probably currently a little high on touch-up paint fumes and excitement. This week was spent installing light fixtures, plumbing parts, and countertops, as well as grouting tile, outfitting garage doors, and so much more. Seriously, if I could invite you all over for a huge party to celebrate this rad addition to our life, I totally would. As it turns out, I’m actually super broke at the moment, what with the house-building and all, so let’s raincheck the party for when I have more dollars.
Finally, on this Friday morning, I am sharing with you what will likely be the last summery recipe of the year. If we’re being honest, an ice cream recipe or two might sneak in over the coming months, but this is definitely the last summery fruit recipe. Starting next week, we’re going to go hard on all the fall flavors, mainly because they’re seasonally appropriate but also because they’re my favorite. So savor every last bit of today’s blueberry lemon pop-tarts, because the next few months are going to be a caramel-dipped, pecan-studded, mint chocolate and gingerbread dreamland, okay?
So. Blueberry lemon pop-tarts. We’ve done the pop-tart thing here before. You guys are familiar with the hand pies and lattice covered berry desserts. But there was a blueberry lemon pop-tart shaped hole in my heart that had to be satisfied, and I know you guys understand those needs that have to be met. I think you’re going to be really glad that we listened to our instincts on this one.
These little babies are my favorite pie dough filled with fresh berries, lemon zest, sugar, and not a whole lot else. Summer fruit always speaks for itself, so my motto is here is less is more. The pie crust is buttery, flaky, and the slightest bit salty, so every bite is the perfect balance of fresh, tart, sweet, and savory. Don’t you just love a treat like that?
To make them, we start with the pie crust. Whiz all the dry ingredients for the crust together in a food processor and pulse in the fat until pea-sized clumps are present throughout the mixture. Add ice cold water to the machine, pulsing until a dry dough comes together. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for an hour or two.
To continue prepping your blueberry lemon pop-tarts, cook the filling ingredients in a saucepan until thick and cut out rounds of pie dough for the mini pies (hint: I use these biscuit cutters). Fill and crimp each tart and allow them to firm up in the freezer for a bit. When you’re prepared to devour homemade pop-tarts, pop them in the oven and don’t pull them out until they have a little suntan. Allow them to cool and then top them with the simple glaze I’ve written out below. A pop-tart just isn’t a pop-tart without frosting, so slather it on thick and don’t forget the sprinkles- the more, the merrier.
These blueberry lemon pop-tarts are the ones to beat. They’re simple, delicious, and such a cute ending to the crazy week/month/summer I’ve had. I hope you’ll give them a try this week and share them with all of your BFFs. You deserve it. Happy Friday and happy baking!
If you like these blueberry lemon pop-tarts you should check out:
Blueberry Galette with Cornmeal Crust
Blueberry Lemon Pop-Tarts
The blueberry lemon pop-tarts are fresh, end-of-summer treats to use up all that delicious produce! With a simple glaze and a gooey berry filling, these pop-tarts are a cheeky nod to the childhood favorite breakfast.
- Prep Time: 60
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 180
- Yield: 9
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 1–3/4 cups (210 gm) of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1–1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 gm) butter
- 1/3 cup (70 gm) shortening
- 5 tablespoons (approximately) of ice water
For the filling:
- 1 cup (170 gm) fresh blueberries (or thawed from frozen)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (115 gm) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
To prepare the pastry:
- Combine flour, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl.
- Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until it is the consistency of a course meal with small, pea-sized chunks of butter throughout. Add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, tossing gently until pastry comes together in moist clumps. Pat the dough into a round, flat disk. Wrap with Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To prepare the filling:
- Combine the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir regularly to break up the blueberries until the mixture is thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Spoon into a heat-safe bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the jam. Allow to cool at least to room temperature.
To prepare the pop-tarts:
- Whisk an egg in a small bowl for the egg wash and set aside.
- Roll out the disk of pastry to 1/8” thickness on a floured surface. Using a 2-1/2″ biscuit cutter, gently cut rounds of dough. Each Pop-Tart will require two rounds (one for top and one for bottom). Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash around the perimeter of half of the circles. Place one to one and a half teaspoons of cooled filling in the center of the rounds with the egg wash. Top the filled rounds with a second circle of crust and use a fork to crimp the edges. Freeze the pop tarts on the baking sheet for 2 hours. Refrigerate the whisked egg in the meantime.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Vent the top of each rectangle by poking the top of the pastry with a fork 1-2 times and brush with the remaining egg wash, if desired. Bake the tarts, uncovered, for almost 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before topping with glaze.
To prepare the glaze:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of juice until smooth. You can add an additional tablespoon of juice if desired, but be sure to keep the glaze thick enough to stay on the pop-tart. You can test how it spreads on the back of a large spoon or try it out on a single pop-tart before you glaze all of them.
Notes
- This recipe cane easily be double to increase yield!
