Pop-Tarts were the breakfast of champions in the 1980’s. I don’t remember ever having anything else before school, latchkey kid that I was. And it seemed like such a good idea, too. Until an hour later when I was hungry again. Then, not such a good idea.
But I’d do it again the next day. We had a seemingly endless supply of them. I took that to mean that I was doing what I was meant to do by eating them every morning.
Everyone has a favorite kind. Frosting or no (none for me, thanks). Fruit filling or no. I just used some straight-up jam in these. There’s a recipe for Apple-Cinnamon Filling on page 70 of My Cookbook, if you’d rather go that way. Or if you just haven’t yet bought a copy. *wink wink*
You can make toaster pastries with a basic gluten-free pastry crust. They’re mighty fine.
These, though. These are a dead ringer for the Pop Tarts you remember. The butter is melted, not cold like in traditional pastry. So they don’t puff like pastry. They flake, more like shortbread, but they’re not nearly as fragile as all that.
And that’s the thing with these nostalgic foods. Sometimes, when you’re gluten-free, it can feel like you’ve closed one chapter without opening a new one. Not on my watch, sister. I’m opening all the chapters. Wide open.
Here’s what you’ll find inside this particular chapter:
| Gluten-Free Pop Tarts |
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) high-quality gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz.) milk, at room temperature
- seedless jam for filling
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the melted butter, vanilla and milk, and mix to combine. The dough will be thick and a bit greasy. Knead the dough until it is smooth. It should hold together well.
- Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper, and cover with another sheet of parchment. Roll into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick (the thickness of a nickel). With a pastry cutter or sharp knife, slice into 2-inch-by-4-inch rectangles. Gather, reroll and cut the scraps into rectangles.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of jam on top of half of the rectangles in an even layer, stopping about 1/4 inch from the edges. Cover each with another rectangle, and press along the edges to seal.
- Transfer the tarts carefully to the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating once, until very lightly golden brown all over, and a bit darker around the edges (about 15 minutes).
- Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They can be toasted before serving, just like the original.
- Freeze leftovers. Defrost in the toaster oven.
If the dough becomes difficult to handle, try chilling it for a few minutes until it firms up a bit.
Oh, and my fave Pop Tart? Brown sugar and cinnamon. No frosting, please (easier to take out of the toaster oven, ‘course).
Love,
Me
P.S. If you haven’t yet, please pick up a copy of My Cookbook! I can’t keep the blog going without your support!
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
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