December 08, 2018 December 08, 2018/ Brittany Conerly
Cranberry orange pop tarts are a must.
Wow it has been a while since my last post. I must say that I have really missed this space. Even though I do not consider myself a writer, it is great to gets things out. Being consumed with work has left me to do a lot of thinking and refocusing. Making sure to make time for things that I enjoy—instead of just work, work, work.
So, here I am with a new tasty recipe for ya’ll to try. Holidays are here at full steam and I have the perfect sweet for you to make, cranberry filled pop tarts!
With a hint of orange because, it is the perfect pairing.
Adulting all the way with these cranberry orange pop tarts! I remember sneaking boxes of pop tarts into the basket while my parents shopped.
My brothers and I would always fight over them and then found out that they are also tasty without being zapped in the toaster.
Still trying to cook out of my comfort zone, I choose cranberries because I hardly cook with them. I am trying to incorporate ingredients that I would not alway grab or cook with. The only form of cranberries that I am familiar with during holiday time is the one the comes in the can. But me being me, I cannot resit making something from scratch.
What I loved most about these little pockets of deliciousness is that…
They are not super sweet
They are homemade! (a big plus)
Freezer friendly—especially if you do not want to indulge in the whole batch at once.
The cranberry jam filling is so easy to make. A little fact, cranberries contain A LOT of pectin—so it doesn’t take a lot of sugar to reach a gelling point—but cranberries are pretty tart, so you will need to adjust to your taste buds.
I added freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest into the liquid which is just fresh cranberries, juice and zest from one orange and sugar. That.Is.It. The pastry dough is a recipe from King Arthur Flour which worked really well and I can’t wait to use again. Leftover jam made for the glaze, powdered sugar, milk, cranberry jam and orange zest made for the perfect glaze.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season!
Cranberry Orange Pop Tarts
Pop Tart Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter cut diced
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
Cranberry Orange Filling :
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon orange liquor
Cranberry Frosting :
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of milk or heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cranberry orange filling
Orange zest
To assemble the pop tarts:
Place one piece of the dough on a generously floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9″ x 12″ rectangle of dough.
Roll the second piece of dough just as you did the first. Press the edge of a ruler into the dough you’ve just rolled, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and width-wise; you’ll see nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.
Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle. Place the second sheet of dough atop the first, using your fingertips or a chopstick to press firmly around each pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides.
With a fork, press all around the edge of the rectangle. Cut the dough evenly in between the filling mounds to make nine tarts. Press the cut edges with your fingers to seal, then press with the fork again to seal.
Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Sprinkle the tarts with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Refrigerate them, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Remove the tarts from the fridge, and bake them for 30 to 35 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. While pop tarts bake, make the frosting. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until smooth and creamy. Place aside.
Remove pop tarts from pan and let cool. Drizzle frosting all over.