Imagine sinking your teeth into a scrumptious, homemade Christmas tree Pop-Tart that rivals the store-bought version in both taste and appearance. The vibrant green and red colors of these festive treats are sure to bring joy to anyone who lays eyes on them. This DIY recipe is a must-try for any Pop-Tarts enthusiast, offering an easy way to create adorable holiday-themed snacks or breakfast items. With just seven simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of these merry masterpieces in no time.
How to Make Christmas Morning Strawberry Poptarts
Place your puff pastry sheets on a floured work surface and utilize a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter to create intricate designs. Roll up any trimmed edges and re-roll them to ensure every last bit of dough is utilized, yielding a total of twenty-four tree shapes. Next, apply strawberry preserves to half the Christmas trees and place another tree on top, creating a delightful sandwich filling. Seal the edges by pinching with your fingers or a fork.
Proceed by brushing each pastry with an egg wash before baking them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden brown. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining strawberry jam, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla to create a luscious frosting. For a richer pink hue, add a drop of red food coloring. Once the homemade pop-tarts have cooled to room temperature on a wire rack, spread a layer of icing over each one and adorn with sprinkles.
Tweaks and Variations
What’s wonderful about this Christmas dessert tart recipe is its versatility – you can customize it to suit your taste preferences. For instance, swap out the strawberry preserves for raspberry jam to create a raspberry-themed tree-shaped pastry. The possibilities don’t stop there; consider substituting the pie dough with homemade crust or using Nutella in place of the jam and cocoa powder in the frosting if you’re craving chocolate pop tarts. To add an extra festive touch, use holiday-colored sprinkles or go all out with rainbow sprinkles. These bite-sized hand pies are perfect for serving on their own or pairing with a sweet dip like Little Debbie’s Christmas tree dip, or even a savory option like sausage breakfast muffins. The size is just right and they complement a wide range of dishes.
History of Pop Tarts
Since their introduction in 1964, Pop-Tarts have become a beloved treat, characterized by their flaky pastry and sweet fillings, often paired with a generous dollop of frosting. The name ‘Pop-Tart’ is a nod to both the toaster oven’s ability to ‘pop’ these treats into a warm, gooey delight, as well as the vibrant spirit of pop art, which was all the rage during that era.
With a wide range of flavors to choose from – including limited-edition and seasonal varieties – it’s no wonder that Frosted Strawberry remains a fan favorite, while Dunkin’ Vanilla Latte is another popular choice. For those who prefer their Pop-Tarts unfrosted, Blueberry is a delightful option.
When crafting your own homemade Pop-Tart recipes, the possibilities are endless! Not only can you customize the filling to your heart’s desire, but you can also experiment with different frostings and shapes – be it hearts for Valentine’s Day or shamrock silhouettes for St. Patrick’s Day. Whatever pastry cutter shape you have on hand, the opportunities for creative expression are virtually limitless.
Homemade Christmas Pop Tarts FAQs
When it comes to choosing the right cookie cutter size, you’ll want to consider the dimensions of your desired pastry. For my Christmas tree creations, I opted for a 5-inch cutter – similar in size to store-bought pop-tarts, which will fit comfortably in your toaster. As for how far ahead you can prepare this recipe, keep in mind that these fresh pastries won’t keep as long as their oil-packed commercial counterparts. At room temperature, they’ll last for a couple of days when stored in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. Alternatively, you can prepare the Christmas tree shapes and add the jam filling, then bake them at your leisure – perhaps even the next day, if that fits better into your schedule.
Christmas Tree Pop Tarts Recipe
Homemade Christmas Tree Pop Tarts
Imagine being surrounded by the warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked Christmas tree pop tarts, inspired by the classic Pop-Tart brand. The thought alone is enough to get you in the holiday spirit! With this copycat recipe, you can create your own festive pastries featuring vibrant green trees and colorful frosting. It’s a project that’s sure to delight both kids and adults alike. To make these delightful treats, you’ll need only 15 minutes of prep time, followed by 10 minutes of baking. In total, you’re looking at just 25 minutes from start to finish. And the best part? You’ll end up with 12 adorable Christmas tree pop tarts that are perfect for snacking, gifting, or adding to your holiday spread.
Instructions
Before baking, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, lay out your puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface, one at a time, as they tend to become less cooperative when warm. Use a cookie cutter to cut Christmas trees from the dough, and then recombine any leftover scraps, rolling them out to about 1/8 inch thick before cutting more trees. Place each tree on a parchment-lined 9×13 baking sheet. On half of the trees, spread about 1 tablespoon of jam, leaving a small border around the edges. Top these with another Christmas tree pastry, pressing the edges together and sealing them completely with your fork. Crack an egg into a bowl, whisking it until smooth, then brush this mixture over the tops of each pop tart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, before removing from the oven and allowing to cool. While the pop tarts are cooling, combine jam, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Once the pop tarts have cooled slightly, spread this icing on top and add sprinkles if desired. Be patient, as it’s essential for the pop tarts to cool fully before adding the icing, lest it melt right off.
Notes
This recipe yields a generous batch of 12 large Pop-Tarts, perfect for satisfying your holiday cravings. To achieve this quantity, be sure to reuse any leftover dough after cutting the initial set of Christmas tree shapes with your 5-inch tall cookie cutter.