Blueberry Cardamom Pop-Tarts
yields 8 tarts
Ingredients:
Pastry:
1ΒΎ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
Β½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
ΒΎ cup unsalted butter ( 1Β½ sticks), cold and cut into Β½ inch cubes
3 tbsp. cold water
1 egg (for egg wash)
Filling:
Β½ cup blueberry jam or fruit preserves
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
ΒΌ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of cardamom
1Β½-2 tbsp. of water
freeze-dried blueberries
Directions:
To make the pastry. In a food processor combine the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, sugar and butter. Pulse until small clumps start to form. Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough may look dry, but let the processor do the work until the dough starts to come together. You donβt want the dough to be sticky, but if it is too dry you can add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangular shape, 1/8-inch thick. Using a ruler or tape measurer, cut the dough into 3-inch x 4-inch rectangles. Take any extra dough scraps and roll back out to form more rectangles. The dough should make about 16 rectangles leading to 8 tops and bottoms. Transfer the 8 bottoms to parchment-lined baking sheets.
To assemble. Spread 1 tablespoon of blueberry jam onto the center of the pop tarts, leaving a ΒΌ-inch border. Brush the egg wash along the exposed edges, and then carefully, using a metal spatula to help you transfer without breaking the dough, place another rectangle of pastry on top. With your fingers gently press around the filling to help seal the edges together. Using a fork, go along the edge to crimp the edges together. Repeat until youβve used all of the dough. Poke a few holes or slice a couple of indentions in the tarts, for steam to release while baking. Place in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour or in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bake the tarts for 18-20 minutes until the edges are just lightly golden brown. Let cool completely before icing.
To decorate. Once the tarts are cooled, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cardamom, vanilla extract, and water. If your icing is too thick, you can add more water, but you want the icing to be the consistency of thick paint so they donβt run right off the tarts. Spoon a little bit of the icing on to each cooled pop-tart. Using your fingers, simply crush the freeze-dried blueberries over the tops of the tarts, while the icing is still slightly wet. Allow the icing to harden completely, about 2 hours, before serving.
*Recipe notes:
If you do not have cardamom: You can omit it. However it really makes the recipe, so I suggest buying the spice from your grocery store's bulk spice section so you arenβt committed to a pricey bottle of spice. I love cardamom in my coffee. You can also use pumpkin pie spice in exchange for the cinnamon and cardamom.
If you donβt love blueberry: This recipe would be great with a raspberry! Just swap for raspberry jam and freeze-dried raspberries. Any berry pairs well with cardamom.
If you don't have a Food Processor: You can use your fingers or a pastry cutter to mix the butter with the flour until the butter is pea-sized. Slowly drizzle in the cold water as directed.
To Make Gluten-Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I actually used this GF flour in this recipe!
