If Hamantaschen and Pop-Tarts had a baby around March, we would affectionately called it a PopTaschen! Flakey, buttery crust filled with sweet strawberry jam, iced and sprinkled on top, of course!
The idea for these adorable PopTaschen was actually born last year for Purim. I made a couple of trial batches, but hadn’t quite nailed it down. This year, I used my favorite all butter pie crust recipe, a triangle-shaped cutter and some really good quality Bonne Maman strawberry jam, and the result was an addictive little Purim treat that made everyone in my house smile!
Growing up, my Mom didn’t really buy many sweet breakfast pastries, but occasionally, we’d wear her down, and she’d get the variety pack of Pop Tarts. I ALWAYS went for the strawberry jam filled. They were just so perfect to me. I’d eat off all the boring perimeter first, then break the middle apart and make a multi-layered jammy sandwich. That was until I tried a homemade version. I love to elevate a childhood favorite by using better quality ingredients, depth of flavor, and real BUTTER!
Making pie crust from scratch seems a little intimidating, but really, all you need are 4 basic ingredients. You have to keep the butter very cold, and work the dough minimally. This ensures very light and flakey layers of pastry – exactly what you’re looking for in a PopTaschen. I will say, if you’re just not up for the pie dough, don’t let that stop you! Grab a store bought crust, but try to find one that uses all butter, and very minimal REAL ingredients (ie. no strange chemical preservatives). I love Trader Joe’s pie crust, if you have one of those nearby. Then all you do, is fill the the rolled out crust with about a teaspoon and half of jam, brush the edges with an egg wash, lay another layer of dough on top, and crimp the edges shut with a fork. I made a super quick icing out of powdered sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Wait for the PopTaschen to cool, and spoon on some icing and sprinkle with abandon!
Love this elevated childhood recipe? Be sure to check out Chocolate Creme Cup, Vanilla Cream Icebox Cake, Halvah Buckeyes
Make sure to tag me @leanne.shor on Instagram if you make incredibly cute and Insta-worth PopTaschen! I love seeing my recipes come to life! To pin this recipe and save it to your favorite boards, simply Tap any image on this page and the ‘Pin It!’ icon will appear, or click the icon at the end of each post –
xxoo, LeAnne
PopTaschen
If Hamantaschen and Pop-Tarts had a baby around March, we would affectionately called it a PopTaschen! Flakey, buttery crust filled with sweet strawberry jam, iced and sprinkled on top, of course!
Ingredients
- 2 c AP flour
- 3 T brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 pound 2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 5-6 T ice water
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup sprinkles
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, kosher salt, and whisk to combine. Add the cold cubed butter. Using your clean fingers, smoosh the cubes of butter into the flour, coating each cube with flour. Add the ice water, and stir gently to combine, until the dough starts to come together, but you should still see pea-sized pieces of butter. Dump half of the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and use the plastic to push the dough together into a ball. Wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove 1 ball of dough from the fridge. Roll the dough out onto a well floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Rotate the dough often as you roll, and add more flour as necessary so that the dough doesn't stick. Use a 3" triangle shaped cutter to cut out as many triangles as possible. Spoon about a teaspoon and a half of strawberry jam into the center of each triangle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment parchment paper. Re-roll any scraps. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
- Brush the edges of the jam-filled triangles with the beaten egg. Lay a second triangle on top, and use a fork to crimp the edges shut tightly. Place the baking tray into the fridge for about 10 minutes to chill the PopTaschen before baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Let cool completely.
Make the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and almond in a small bowl. Whisk until very smooth. Spoon the glaze on top of each PopTaschen. Top with sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.