Strawberry Pop Tarts

Pop Tarts made a regular appearance in my childhood. Recently Jerry Seinfeld's movie about Pop Tarts, Unfrosted, came out and reminded me of my love for Pop Tarts. I have not had store-bought Pop Tarts in a long time, but I do not think Pop Tarts would taste as good now as they do in my memory. So, I decided to make homemade pop tarts. These pop tarts are so much better than any store-bought Pop Tart could ever be.

The pastry is a pie crust, so the resulting pop tarts are nice and flaky. And using strawberry preserves is much better that the goo that you find the store-bought version. This recipe yields eight pop tarts based on the four by three inch size. You could make smaller or larger pop tarts, at your preference.

Strawberry Pop Tarts 

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, cold and cubed
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• strawberry preserves
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• dash vanilla
• sprinkles, optional

In a large bowl, blend flour, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter to cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Pour in cold water and honey while mixing until a dough ball forms. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3x4 inch rectangles. Place a rectangle on a lined baking sheet. Spread about a tablespoon of strawberry preserves onto the bottom, leaving about a 1/4 inch edge. Brush water onto the edge to help the top lay stick. Place a second rectangle over the preserves. Crimp the edges of the two layers together. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Combine the powdered sugar, water, and vanilla to make the frosting. Spread onto each pop tart. Add sprinkles. Enjoy!