Mixed Berry Pop Tarts

Make your own breakfast pastry tarts using fresh berries, cardamom, and vanilla paste. Homemade with your personal flare, you may never go back to the store-bought version again. Prepare the berry filling and pie dough a day ahead to save time!

Directions

Recipe created by THEJAMLAB

Dough
PLACE the all-purpose flour into a large bowl.
ADD 60 grams granulated sugar.
ADD 1 teaspoon salt.
Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
WHISK to combine.
ADD 230 grams unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled.
CUT IN butter using a pastry blender or squeeze butter pieces with fingertips until pea-sized and coated in flour.
SET ASIDE flour mixture.
POUR 180 ml cold water into a medium bowl.
ADD the ice cubes to chill mixture.
ADD 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
STIR to combine.
ADD 2 tablespoons water mixture to flour mixture and DISCARD any remaining solid ice.
MIX using pastry blender or hands until water mixture is absorbed into dough.
ADD another 2 tablespoons water mixture to flour mixture.
MIX using pastry blender or hands until water mixture is absorbed into dough.
CONTINUE ADDING water mixture to flour mixture, 2 tablespoons at time, just until dough comes together. 
ADD additional small amounts of cold water if necessary, just until dough comes together. Do not add more water than necessary. 
DIVIDE dough into 2 equal portions.
PAT each dough portion into a rectangle about 13 cm by 15 inches.
WRAP each dough portion tightly in plastic wrap.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour.

Filling
PLACE 400 grams mixed berries into a medium bowl.
ADD 100 grams granulated sugar
ADD 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
ADD 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
ADD 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
ADD 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
ADD 1/2 teaspoon salt.
STIR to combine ingredients.
SET ASIDE berry mixture for 15 minutes.
TRANSFER berry mixture to a saucepan.
HEAT on medium high about 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil.
MASH berries with a potato masher until all berries are crushed.
COOK another 7 – 8 minutes and STIR occasionally with a rubber spatula.
SET ASIDE filling to thicken and cool to room temperature.
CHILL berry mixture in refrigerator until needed.
Roll out dough
LINE 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
REMOVE 1 dough portion from refrigerator.
DUST a work surface lightly with flour.
ROLL OUT dough to a rectangle about 25 cm by 40 cm and DUST dough surface and rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
TRIM edges of rectangle using a food-safe straight-edge and sharp knife to FORM a tidy rectangle with 90-degree corners.
CUT dough into 12 small rectangles, each about 8 cm by 9 cm.
PLACE small rectangles onto 1 prepared baking sheet.
CHILL in freezer 10 minutes.
REPEAT steps with second dough portion to get a total of 24 small rectangles.

Egg wash
CRACK 1 large egg into a small bowl.
ADD 2 teaspoons water.
ADD 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
WHISK until thoroughly combined.
SET ASIDE egg wash.

Assembly
PREHEAT oven to 190°C.
REMOVE 1 tray of small dough rectangles from freezer.
BRUSH surface of dough rectangles with egg wash.
RESERVE and SET ASIDE 1 ½ tablespoons berry mixture for use in icing.
SCOOP about 1 heaping tablespoon berry mixture onto center of each dough rectangle and LEAVE a 15 mm border around edges. (REFRIGERATE and SAVE any remaining berry filling for spreading on toast or topping ice cream.)
COVER dough rectangles with remaining dough rectangles from freezer.
SEAL tart edges gently by PRESSING lightly with fingertips.
PRESS tart edges firmly closed using tines of a fork.
CUT a small X into the top of each tart using a sharp knife.
BRUSH tarts with egg wash.
RETURN tarts to parchment-lined baking sheet.
CHILL tarts in freezer 10 minutes.
BUSH tarts again with egg wash.
BAKE 25 minutes or until golden brown.
TRANSFER to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing
PRESS reserved 1 ½ tablespoons berry filling through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl and DISCARD seeds.
ADD 120 grams confectioners’ sugar.
ADD 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
ADD 2 – 3 tablespoons whole milk.
WHISK to combine. Mixture should be thick.
SPREAD about 2 teaspoons icing onto surface of each tart.
DECORATE with sprinkles.
SET ASIDE tarts until icing sets, about 30 minutes.
SERVE immediately or place into an airtight container until serving.