Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (198 g) softened
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (60 g)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (310 g)
For the Pumpkin Filling:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (8 oz, 227 g)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Assembly:
- 1 egg, room temp
- 2 teaspoons water
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 small pinch of salt
- 5-6 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- orange gel food color
- black gel food color
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until lightly fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar and salt, and mix until well combined. Next, fully mix in the egg, vanilla, and cream.
- Switch to a spoon or spatula and stir in the flour until it is fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Bring the dough together into one large mass and place in the center of some plastic wrap. Flatten the dough into a large rectangle, cover with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Make the Pumpkin Filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. Add the cornstarch and stir until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin and brown sugar, and whisk until fully combined. Next, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in the spices and cornstarch. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tarts.
Assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment or spray with nonstick baking spray. Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour and dust your rolling pin with it as well. Take the crust dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up for a couple of minutes. In a small bowl, prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water.
- Roll the crust out into a 20 X 12 inch (50 X 30 cm) rectangle, trying to keep the corners of the rectangle straight. With a bench knife, cut the dough every 5 inches (or 12.5 cm) along the 20 inch (50 cm) side, so that you have 4 columns. Cut every 3 inches (or 7.5 cm) along the 12 inch (30 cm) side, so that you have 4 rows.
- Using a bench knife, transfer 8 of the crusts to the baking sheets, spacing them out evenly. Assembling 1 pop tart at a time, brush the egg wash along the edges of the bottom crust. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center, spreading it out into a rectangle but leaving a large margin around the edges. Take one of the crusts left behind on the work surface and place it on top so that the edges line up, being careful not to squeeze out the filling. Press a fork along the edges to seal them. Continue assembling the pop tarts one-by-one until all 8 are finished.
- Bake the pop tarts at 350° F (180° C) for about 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the crusts no longer look raw. Let them cool for about 45 minutes before glazing.
Decorate:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and salt. Whisk in the cream 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze comes together and all lumps dissolve. Once the glaze is smooth, whisk in the vanilla. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the glaze to a separate small bowl. Stir the orange food gel into the larger bowl, and the black food gel into the smaller.
- Spoon the orange glaze over the tops of the pop tarts. Transfer the black glaze to a piping bag or small plastic bag, cutting off the corner so that you have a tiny opening, about 1/16 to 1/8 an inch (or about 2 mm.) Pipe stripes across the tops of the pop tarts.
- Allow the glaze to set for about 1 hour before storing. They will keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator. These pop tarts must be kept in the refrigerator and cannot be put in the toaster! They are good cold, but if you want them warmer, let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating.