Pie Crust Pop Tarts

When I baked the French Apple Tart on Monday for my Tuesdays With Dorie baking club, I made the whole recipe for the pie crust without fully realizing I'd only need one fouth of it for the tart.  I proceed anyway, knowing homemade pie crust freezes well.  My mind began thinking of all the things I could do with pie crust.  Apple Pie.  Peanut Butter Pie.  Chicken Pot Pie.  Empanadas.  Pecan Pie.  Pecan Tartlets.  Pecan Tassies.  Pecan Kringle.  Pop tarts.

Pop tarts!   Yes!

Indulgent, buttery, flaky homemade pop tarts.  Not your average pop tart.

I don't buy pop tarts.  My kids are deprived of storebought, prepackaged treats like that.  Sorry, Hostess and Little Debbie.   I would just prefer baking my own treats!  You know, real butter, real sugar.  That kinda thing. 

I made two different kinds of pop tart-ish treats:   raspberry jam filled, and pecan filled.   First, the jam filled.

I pulled out my favorite scallop-edged heart cookie cutter, rolled the pie dough to about 1/8 inch thick, and cut plenty of hearts.

Then I spooned about 1/2 a teaspoon or so of jam in the center of the heart and spread it gently, leaving 1/4 inch of an edge around the heart.  Using my fingertip, I dabbed a little water around the edge and laid another heart on top.  I used a fork to seal the edge.

I placed the hearts on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and baked till the hearts were puffed and golden, about 10 minutes.  Some of the jam oozed out, but not too much. 

I cooled the hearts on a wire cooling rack, then made a glaze with powdered sugar, a drizzle of vanilla, and a splash of milk.  I spread the cooled tarts with the glaze and sprinkled with jimmies.  Voila!  Pop tarts!!

Next came Pecan Kringle Tarts.   I have a recipe from Betty Crocker for Danish Kringle, so I used that filling for these mini tarts.

Same idea.  I cut the pie dough into scalloped squares, and  put about 1/2 a teaspoon of the filling in the center.

 
I sealed the edges with a fork and put them on a cookie sheet to bake for about 10 minutes.

Once cool, I used the same vanilla glaze to top these little pastries, along with some chopped pecans.



I couldn't resist.

Flaky, sweet, and delicious!   The perfect way to use some leftover pie crust.