These are a little time consuming, but it’s a fun recipe to make with the kids. It’s a much better alternative to store-bought poptarts, and you can make them with wheat flour and your choice of filling. My personal favorite is strawberry jam! (Also… scroll to the bottom for an easier version of this recipe, if ya just don’t have time!)

These will keep outside of the fridge in an airtight container for about a week before getting stale.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 2 1/4 cups of Flour (favorite: whole wheat)
• 1/2 t of salt
• 1/2 T of sugar
• 2 Sticks of Cold Butter (favorite: raw, organic, unsalted) cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 T of milk (favorite: organic, whole)
• 1 Egg
• Jam (favorite: Crofter’s premium organic strawberry)

Recipe:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
2. Large Mixing Bowl: Flour, Salt, Sugar
3. Add: Cold Butter Slices and blend or mix with hands (it will be lumpy, but should sort of hold itself together)
4. Add: milk, egg and beat or knead until dough forms (you can beat first, but will ultimately need to knead it with your hands)
5. Roll out the dough very thinly, <1/4 inch (the thinner, the better!)
6. Cut the dough into squares (you can use cookie cutters, too! just make sure to make at least 2 of each shape – I made approximately 3 in. by 5 in. rectangles).
7. Add 1/2 – 1 T of jam to each pastry
8. Lay a matching piece on top
9. Use a fork to pinch the edges together by pressing down all around the edges
10. Beat an egg in a bowl (or use liquid egg) and Brush each pastry lightly
11. Poke a few holes in the top of the pastry (4-5 will do)
12. Bake for 25 minutes

The EASY VERSION:

1. Use store-bought pie crust instead of home-making it (this will still be healthier than the store-bought poptarts).
2. Cut it in rectangular pieces, depending on what size pastries you want
3. Add 1/2 – 1 T of filling to the center
4. Pinch the edges together with a fork
5. Poke 4-5 holes in the top
6. Bake at 425 for 5-7 minutes

ICING:

I don’t use icing on my homemade poptarts because the kids like them without it, so I”m not going to introduce them to it until I have to! However, if you want to:

Very Sweet:

1. Mix together 2 T milk and 2 C powdered sugar (add food coloring as desired!)

Little Less Sweet:

1. Mix together 3/4 C powdered sugar, 3 tsp skim milk, 2 tsp light corn-syrup