Outside the box

The hubs loves pop tarts. He doesn't care what flavor, he loves them all. I've never been able to eat them, the pop tarts and I don't get along.

He likes to take them in his cute little spider man very manly lunchbox for breakfast. I found some a while back on pinterest and ask him did he want me to try to make them, he resisted!

A week or so ago he came up with the idea all on his on remembered and asked if I'd try the homemade pop tarts. They were so good that I'm perturbed with him for resisting.

He decided he wanted the filling to be sweet potato so I just made a Sweet Potato Souffle to use for the filling. Just make it just like the recipe.

Now, let's make the dough. This dough is outrageous. It is so good and without a doubt the easiest dough that I've ever worked with. It's super pliable and does exactly what you tell it to.

Here's what you need:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1tsp salt

1 cup butter, cut into pea(ish) size

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

Preheat to 350

Ok, normally I use the mixer for dough. That was until I got a processor. The food processor makes dough so much easier. Anywho, the flour

Sugar and salt. Get those combined well and then add your

butter. Mix well. The butter should make it look like a wee bit lumpy.

Beat the eggs and milk together just until mixed and then add to the flour mixture.

Then let the mixer or food processor do the work for you until you have a dough as beautiful as this

I'm telling you it's like working with something as easy as play-doh.

Take a little baseball(ish) size ball and roll it until it's flat. Not like rolled out like you would pastry, just enough to get it through the roller!

*Quick, very quick pasta roller tut*

Pass the dough through on level 1.

Fold it over itself

and pass back through on level 1. Do this several times until it goes through easily. The dough completely changes consistency. You'll be able to tell when it's ready to go up to level 2

Repeat the process of folding over and passing back through the machine on level 2. For this level 2 is as high as I went, then back to the cutting board.

I just did a tiny bit of rolling with the rolling pin to make it a bit wider.

Figure out the size you want and cut out your squares. Put a layer of your filling down leaving about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch empty around all four edges.

Lay a dough blanket

Cut the extra and press down the edges.

Using a fork go around the edges to seal it all in nice and tidy.

Bake for 15 minutes.

  

The glaze that I used (and am still working on) is a Marshmellow Creme Glaze. It's delicious. This is my first experience with Marshmellow Creme.

1/3 cup sugar + 3 tbsp of water in the microwave for about a minute (until it boils). Add in 2 tbsp of Marshmellow Creme and stir until it's all melty and delightful.

Add your glaze *and sprinkles if you see fit*

If you are eating these right away add your glaze and have at it.

If however you are going to be taking these in your spidey lunchbox we have another method.

You can put the glaze on before you bake them and it will bake into the poptart and be a little more travel friendly, or, if you are my hubs...you break out the kitchen torch!

*Sorry, I was in charge of this picture!*

It puts a lovely carmelization on the glaze and makes it less sticky than just leaving it.

Either way you get this

I really cannot explain to you how great this is. The dough is outstanding. Just a little sweet, it is substantial enough to be a one-hander. It has just a little crunch. The sweet potato was a great idea and I'm currently in love with marshmellow creme.

It's not too sweet, it stands on it's on and it blows those boxed pop tarts out of the water.

My plan is to make these and freeze the one's that he won't eat this week and take them out as needed!