Homemade Pop Tarts

Homemade Pop Tarts
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Pastry
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)

Cinnamon Filling (enough for 9 tarts)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, to taste
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

Jam Filling
3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Alternate fillings: 9 tablespoons chocolate chips, 9 tablespoons Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut paste or 9 tablespoons of a delight of your choice, such as salted caramel or a nut paste

To make cinnamon filling: Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

To make jam filling: Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.

Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers, pastry blender or food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible, and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. If you’ve used a food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive, kneading briefly on a well-floured counter if necessary.

Divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. You can roll this out immediately (see Warm Kitchen note below) or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Assemble the tarts: If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly 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″. [You can use a 9" x 13" pan, laid on top, as guidance.] Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set trimmings aside. Cut each piece of dough into thirds – you’ll form nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.

Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it. Place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with remaining tarts.

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. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.

Charming tip from King Arthur: Sprinkle the dough trimmings with cinnamon-sugar; these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it’s a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13 to 15 minutes, till they’re golden brown.

Bake the tarts: Remove the tarts form the fridge, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack.

Whole Wheat Variation: I was itching to swap out 1/2 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour. I am sure it would make it more deliciously breakfast.

Pop Tart Minis: The biggest struggle I had with these was the size. I actually like my baked goods on the tiny size, thus I think this could make an adorable batch of 16 2 1/4″ x 3″ rectangles.

Savory Pop Tarts: Nix the sugar in the dough and halve the salt. Fill with pesto, cheese, ground nuts or olives, or any combination thereof. Brush the tops with additional egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Please invite me over.

Do ahead: The sweet versions should keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a week. If you’d like to make them further in advance, I vote for freezing them unbaked between layers of waxed paper, and baking them as you need.

From Smitten Kitchen

Notes from a Friend to Knit With:

I rolled them super thin. Seriously. Almost paper like. 3" x 4". Then, we put a B I G spoonful of the filling (Triple the recipe for the filling. You won't be sorry.) along one side and fold the piece in half. And then, after they cooled, drizzled brown sugar icing on top. Now THAT was the perfect little pop tart. Small, cinnamony and delicious.
{For the icing we melted 2 TBLS of butter and added 4 TBLS of milk and 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Mix well. Add 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Mix until smooth.}

Oven-Baked Bacon √

Sonya's Note: PERFECT way to prepare bacon! I'll be doing it this way from now on!

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 20 minutes

Here's How:

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.
2. Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. Close oven door. Turn oven on to 400°F. Walk away.
3. Come back 17 to 20 minutes later. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it's done. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon slices, and also on how quickly your oven reaches the target temperature.
4. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb the fat. You can pour the liquid fat into a heat-resistant container to save for other uses.

Tips:

1. Don't pre-heat the oven! Make sure the oven is cold when you put the bacon in.
2. Keep your eye on the bacon during the final few minutes of cooking to make sure that it doesn't burn. Also, remove the cooked bacon from the hot pan right away. The heat from the pan and the hot bacon fat will continue cooking the bacon.
3. You can slightly undercook the bacon, then cool it and freeze it in a zipper bag. Then, to reheat, cook two slices in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds or so.
4. Variation: Dredge bacon in flour or corn meal before baking.
5. Variation: Sprinkle bacon with brown sugar or freshly ground black pepper before baking.

What You Need:

• 1 lb package of bacon
• Oven
• Shallow baking sheet
• Aluminum foil and paper towels
• Heat-resistant container for collecting drippings

Sundried Tomato Biscuits

Biscuits

2 ½ cups of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of cold unsalted butter cubed
1 ¼ cups of heavy cream

For Sundried Tomato Basil - add in 1/3 cup of basil (chopped), 6 sundried tomatoes (diced), 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (grated)

For Cilantro Spice - add in 1/3 cup of cilantro (chopped), 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add in the desired optional ingredients. Cut butter into the mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream until just combined. Dough can be dropped on to a parchment lined baking sheet or patted out and cut into biscuits. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. We liked the Sundried tomato ones better but I think the cilantro ones would be good as a breakfast sandwich biscuit.

Bacon and Egg Pies

Bacon and Egg Pies
(adapted from Donna Hay’s Modern Classics I, page 158)

• 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry (mine is 9.5 x 9.5 inches, you will have some scraps left over…use them for this!)
• 6 strips of bacon (Donna rationed 2 rashers per person, but I felt we deserved 3 each)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (Donna used cheddar)
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
• 4 eggs

- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- Place bacon on a baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven for about 8-10 minutes. You just want to get the edges a bit crisp. Remember you are going to be baking it again with the tart! When done, drain on paper towels.
- Thaw pastry (in my kitchen this takes two seconds so I make sure everything is ready before taking it out of the freezer) and cut to fit two 1-cup capacity pie dishes (I just used whatever I thought would fit).
- Spread mustard on the pastry bases and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Top this with three pieces of bacon for each pie. I like to curve them around so they will cradle the eggs.
- Break two eggs over each pie.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the eggs have set to your liking. Serve immediately.
- Serves two.

Frittata / Omelette

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Spanish onion, minced
3 baked potatoes, skin removed and roughly chopped
3 chorizos, grilled and chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized, deeper saute pan.
Saute garlic until golden, then add onions and continue to saute until translucent.
Add potatoes, chorizos and peppers and heat through.
*note* if you don’t have leftovers, I suggest baking the potatoes in the microwave or oven until done, and cooled, using canned roasted peppers, and for the chorizo, just saute it until cooked through before adding the potatoes and peppers)
Meanwhile, beat eggs with salt and pepper until beginning to froth.
Reduce heat to low, and pour eggs over meat and vegetables.
Stir around a bit, to permit egg to solidify slightly, then cover.
Using a spatula, press egg toward center occasionally, to form the rounded edge.
After about 10 minutes, when egg is beginning to set, carefully place a large plate over the saute pan (one that larger than the pan).
This is the tricky part.
I usually count to three and flip the tortilla onto the plate.
Please be careful not to burn yourself! It’s also important to make sure the egg is beginning to set before doing this, or you’ll have egg all over the place. Ask me how I know this. LOL
Wipe out saute pan, and add a bit more olive oil.
Slide the tortilla back into the pan and cover.
Repeat the pressing of the sides occasionally, and when the egg is really looking like it’s set, sort of “shake” the tortilla around in the pan a bit to prevent sticking.
This should take about 10-20 more minutes, depending on the size of your pan.
Repeat the “flip” process (I find that it looks prettier when you flip a second time).
Serve as desired. Here I’ve cut the tortilla into cubes to serve as tapas.

Tasty Toaster Tarts

Tasty Toaster Tarts

From King Arthur Flour

Makes 9 toaster tarts (plus leftover dough trimmings!)

Pastry:
2 c flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1 c unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 T milk

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 c brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 t cinnamon, to taste
4 t flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

Make the Dough:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan sized lumps of butter still visible. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.

Divide the dough in half; each half will weigh about 10 ounces. Shape each half into a rough 3'' by 5'' rectangle, smoothing the edges. Roll out immediately; or wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Make the filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

Assemble the tarts:
If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8'' thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9'' by 12''. Laying a 9'' by 13'' pan atop the dough will give you an idea if you've rolled it large enough. Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9'' by 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'' by 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 to press firmly around each pocket of filling, sealing the dough will on all sides. Press the tines of a fork 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 a fork, to seal again.

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. Refrigerate the tarts (they don't need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Sprinkle the dough trimmings with cinnamon-sugar; these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it's a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13-15 minutes, till they are golden brown.

Remove the tarts from the fridge, and bake them for 25-35 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool on the pan.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 C. Whole Wheat Flour *
2 T. Light Brown Sugar
2 T. Splenda (or real Sugar)
2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Sea Salt
2 T. Wheat Germ
2 T. Canola Oil
1 t. Vanilla
2 C. Low Fat Buttermilk **
2 Large Eggs
1 C. Mashed Banana
1/2 Cup Pureed Carrots ***

*Replace a scoop of whole wheat flour with a scoop of protein powder.

**Last weekend, I was out of buttermilk and just used 2 Cups of powdered milk. Couldn’t tell the difference!

***This is where I got sneaky. The kids had NO idea. And I swear, they tasted even better than usual.

In a bowl, mix dry ingredients. Then add wet ingredients. Mix with mixer.

Bake by ladlefuls on a hot oiled griddle. Turn when bubbles form on the top. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Bacon and Potato Breakfast Pizza √

Bacon and Potato Breakfast Pizza
From the 2004 Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipe book

1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (9-oz.) box Green Giant® Frozen Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Herbs
I used plain frozen hash browns (the square kind) and added a bit of garlic
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
8 slices precooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
I used real bacon pieces – the kind you buy in the salad garnish aisle
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese
I used a mixture of Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack and Mozzarella Cheeses
Salt and pepper, if desired
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley I used dried

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Unroll dough into sprayed pan; press in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust; press perforations to seal. Bake at 350°F. for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut small slit in center of roasted potatoes pouch; microwave on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until thawed. Remove potatoes from pouch; cut larger pieces in half.

In medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in milk, bacon, 1 cup of the cheese, the thawed potatoes, salt and pepper.

Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spoon potato mixture evenly over crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the parsley over top.

Return to oven; bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Cut into squares.

8 servings

I made this all ahead of time and then stuck it in the fridge for about an hour until it was time for dinner. It still cooked up great. I think you could also put all of the ingredients together in a bowl (except the crescent rolls), spread the rolls in the 9x13 pan and then put everything in the fridge for later. My life is all about being able to make dinner when I can fit it in!

Tiny Cinnamon Rolls

Tiny Cinnamon Rolls

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk
1 drop vanilla extract

Unroll dough and separate into 4 rectangles; pinch seams to seal. Stir together 1-1/2 tsp sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture evenly over rectangles. Roll up, jellyroll fashion, starting with a long side; press edges to seal. Cut each log into 5 slices and place in a lightly greased 8-inch round cake pan. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, stirring until smooth; drizzle over warm rolls. Serves 4 to 6.

Butter Milk Biscuit Omelet Cups

Butter Milk Biscuit Omelet Cups

Preheat oven 375F

1 Tube (12oz.)large refrigerated butter milk biscits
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/8tsp. salt
1/8 tsp.pepper
1 cup fully cooked diced ham
3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese ,didided
1/3 cup chopped canned mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter

Press biscuits onto bottom and up sides of greased muffin cups;set aside.In large bowl beat the eggs,milk,saltand pepper.Add ham,1/4 cup cheese and mushrooms;mix well.In a skillet melt butter;add egg mixture.Cook and stir until eggs are nearly set.Spoon into biscuit cups.Bake 375F for 10 to 15 minutesor unti biscuits are golden brown.Sprinkle with remainig cheese.Bake 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 5