Fresh berry pop tarts

I used to love pop tarts as a kid. Ah those innocent days where we consumed high fructose corn syrup and food coloring on the regular.

The funny thing is, I had a pop tart a few years ago and I thought it tasted like cardboard. Very sugary cardboard.

But then I had brunch at Foreign Cinema. One bite of their pop tarts, and I was smitten. Flaky, buttery crust, real fruit compote…these pastries were much better than the Kellogg’s version. This recipe is inspired by those.

The big shortcut is using store bought pie crust. If you’re really trying to save time, you can also swap the fresh berry compote with jam and a bit of cornstarch. But personally, I find that most jams mask the flavor of the actual fruit.

You start with the compote, combining berries and sugar over high heat and thickening with cornstarch.

Then you assemble your tarts

And they come out looking something like this…

Ingredients – Pop Tarts

• 2 store bought pie crusts, defrosted in the fridge overnight
• 2 cups raspberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 4 tablespoons sugar plus 2 tablespoons extra for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 lemon

Ingredients – Glaze (optional)

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large sauce pan, mix berries and sugar over high heat.
3. Cook mixture for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring and mashing. Mixture should start boiling about 6-7 minutes in.
4. Remove mixture from heat and set aside. Mix lemon juice and cornstarch, and stir into the berry compote.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. On a flat surface, unroll the pie crusts and cut off round edges. Cut each crust into 4 long rectangles.
7. Place each rectangle on an ungreased baking tray and place 1 tablespoon of berry mixture on one half of the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges.
8. Fold over other side of pie crust, seal edges with your fingers, then crimp edges with a fork.
9. Using a toothpick, poke several holes in each tart to let the steam vent and keep the crust from getting soggy. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake for 25 minutes or until tarts are golden brown.
11. If using glaze, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Gently drizzle or spoon over tarts while they are still warm.