Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Squares {Pop Tarts}
Pop Tarts are such an iconic breakfast food. Delicious filling, sandwiched between pastry dough and covered in glaze…what could possibly be bad about that? Nothing! Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts are the way to go, in my opinion. I like to eat them straight out the package…no toaster needed. The best bite is always the very last one because I have eaten the edges and all that is left is…FILLING! I always start with the mindset that I will eat just one but inevitably I eat the second one…every.single.time.
I have to say this though…last weekend was the “BIG CLEAN OUT” at our house and I found pieces of Pop Tart from…God only knows when and it wasn’t even moldy. I am talking about chunks of Pop Tart in the back of a persons {who shall remain nameless} closet that was at least 6 months old and it was definitely dried out but dare I say…still edible?!? Now don’t get me wrong, I am one of the biggest Pop Tart supporters in the world {GO POP TARTS!!} but it got me thinking…what kind of super-star status preservatives do those puppies have? That in turn got me thinking about how I could make a version at home that might be a little better for my favorite peeps {who am I kidding…it was mostly just for me}.
Using ready made pie crust is a huge time saver but if you have a recipe that you think would work well here, then by all means…use it and then share it with me. The trickiest part was finding the right balance in the filling and adding the touch of flour seemed to give me the result my stomach was hoping for. The egg wash inside the pastry dough not only helps with the seal but it also gives a barrier between the dough and brown sugar mixture and keeps things from getting soggy.
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Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Squares
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. refrigerated pie crust {2 rolls} *see egg wash notes in directions
- 1/3 cup brown sugar {packed}
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tsp flour
Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Unroll both pie crusts onto a flat surface. Cut 7-8 squares from each crust {I used a square cookie cutter but a knife or pizza cutter would work well too}. Put half of the pie crust squares onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. At this point I used an egg wash {1 egg and teaspoon of water} and brushed it over the entire surface of each square. On top of the egg wash place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of each square and spread out slightly, being sure to leave a 1/4 inch edge. Apply the same egg wash to the other half of the squares and place them egg wash side down over the brown sugar topped square. Use your hands to gently press the outside edges of dough together. Then using a tooth pick, poke about 9 holes into the top of each square {we do this so the steam from the inside can escape}. Go back with the tongs of a fork to create the seal.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tarts are slightly browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add a heaping teaspoon on top of each square and spread out. Store at room temperature in an air tight container.
- To serve warm: Preheat 350 degree oven and warm for 8-10 minutes or put in microwave for 15 seconds.
Notes
- Â To freeze put wax paper between layers of squares for up to 3 months.
