HOMEMADE POP TARTS

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening cut into small cubes
1 cup sour cream
1 to 3 Tbsp ice cold water
1 egg, well beaten
2 Tbsp milk
assorted fillings such as jam, apple butter, chocolate chips
granulated sugar for sprinkling
FOR THE GLAZE (OPTIONAL):
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
2 scant teaspoons milk

Pulse flour, salt and sugar in a food processor a few times. Add butter and shortening and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal with some big pea-sized lumps.

Add sour cream and pulse briefly until just incorporated.

Drizzle ice water one tablespoon at a time and pulse until mixture just comes together. It’s OK if it isn’t all incorporated. Squeeze some dough together between your fingers to see if it looks like a soft but not too sticky dough. Add more water sparingly if too crumbly and dry.

Dump mixture onto a clean cool surface and smear it with a forward motion to better distribute the fat. Scrape together, form into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour and preferably overnight.

Tip: You should be able to see the marbeling of the chunks of fat in the dough. If not, you have overworked the dough and it will not be as flaky.

Remove dough from fridge and divide into four portions. Take one portion and roll on a well-floured surface until about the thickness of a flour tortilla. Keep other portions of dough chilled.

Tip: To avoid repeated trips in and out of the fridge, keep your wrapped dough handy resting on bed of ice in a big bowl next to your work area.

Cut dough into rectangles that are about 3 1/2 x 5 1/2-inches with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Repeat until you have used all of the dough.

Tip: Make a cardboard template (use an index card or flash card if it’s handy) to insure uniform size. Trust me, it will make it easier in the long run.

Carefully transfer rectangles onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat (use the template to help scrape them off your work surface and keep that surface floured). You should end up with about 16 rectangles with scraps to spare.

When all of your rectangles are cut, make an egg wash by combining your beaten egg and milk. Paint half of the rectangles around the outside edges with the egg wash.

Place one heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of your “painted” rectangles. Place the other halves over the filled halves and press to seal with your fingers. Place cookie sheets with filled tarts in the fridge to rest and chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Take cookie sheet out of the fridge and poke holes with a fork in the tops to allow steam to escape. Trim edges of filled tarts with a fluted pastry wheel or sharp knife while pastries are still chilly. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (or cinnamon sugar for the apple tarts).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Cool and glaze if desired.

Note: Do not top with sugar or glaze if you plan to reheat in the toaster.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
Mix glaze ingredients and place in a small zip lock baggie. Snip tip and drizzle over cooled pastries.

Pastries may be stored in the fridge or freezer and reheated in the toaster or oven or eaten cold or at room temp.

If reheated in the toaster oven, watch out…the filling is hot!

Makes about 8 tarts
From: Donna de Surville
Source: KRON4 - San Francisco, CA