Chocolate Hazelnut Pop Tarts
I do love a pop tart - they remind me of childhood and are the perfect handheld treat. As an adult, I’m less inclined to indulge in them as I was when I was ten. If you were in about 4th grade in the early 90s, then you know how big a deal these were when they came on the scene. Shoutout to all my Brown Sugar Cinnamon peeps out there!
These pop tarts don’t have what was my least favorite part of the pop tart - the dry tasteless edges. the dough is flakier than the commercial ones we knew and loved and feels special. Easy to make and fun to decorate, they made me feel fancy and like a kid decorating cookies at Christmas time again. If you don’t like chocolate hazelnut spread, you could fill these with a jam (not a jelly - way too runny), or a chocolate ganache.
Notes:
Size - Choose a 5” or bigger cookie cutter (or cut your pop tarts into the classic rectangle shape). If you’re using a cookie cutter, choose shapes that don’t have too much in the way of intricate details - it will be difficult to get the filling into all those nooks and crannies and still be able to seal the edges. I found my snowman cookie cutter from The Fussy Pup - they’re located in Seymour, Indiana but you can find their online shop either on Amazon (where I found them) or Etsy.
The dough - The dough can be dry, which is why there is a wide range of how much ice water to add to it. You’re looking for a smooth dough with no dry crumbly bits but not at all wet. It should remind you of fresh Playdough.
The filling - Take care not to overfill these - you want enough (1/3 of an inch) all the way around the edges to allow for a good seal, otherwise things will leak out.
Heating the glaze - Whisk the glaze between each dipping of the pop tarts. It will form a crust within seconds, so this step is very important. Also, don’t skip the warming/heating of the glaze - it’s what allows the glaze to harden when it cools after a chemical reaction happens in the warming process. It also make these easier to transport.
Reheating - DO NOT PUT THESE IN THE TOASTER/TOASTER OVEN. You will immediately burn them and the sugar will melt of and become a huge mess. Instead, place them on a paper towel or a plate and microwave them for 10 second increments until warm. They will be perfect and the pastry will still be crispy.
Chocolate Hazelnut Pop Tarts
Altered with love from The Simple, Sweet Life
THE POP TART DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes (I cubed mine and stuck it in the fridge for an hour before beginning the pop tarts)
4-7 tbsp ice water (the humidity level in the air will really affect your dough, hence the large difference)
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
THE GLAZE
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
edible glitter (or any other decoration you want for your snowman - I used this from Wilton)
THE POP TART DOUGH
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Drop the cold butter cubes on top of the flour and work in with a pastry blender until a sandy texture and the butter looks like large oat flakes.. Alternatively, you can do this in a large food processor if you have one that fits the amount you’re working with.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the ice water over the butter-flour mixture and work in again with the pastry blender (or pulse several times in the food processor). Make sure to get all the dry flour in the corners/bottom of the bowl. If the dough is still dry, add another tablespoon and work in again. Keep going until you’ve added about 4-7 tablespoons of ice water and/or your dough is smooth and able to stick to itself if you pinch pieces together without being dry or crumbly. Divide the dough in half into thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill the dough disks in the fridge for at 1 hour.
After the dough disks have properly chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉ and remove one dough disk from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is approximately 9” x 13 “. Use your cookie cutter to cut out eight snowmen (it’s possible you may only get 7, depending on how jagged your edges are - I only got 7 but there is the potential for 8!).
Place the snowmen onto two baking sheets lined with either a silpat or parchment paper. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of the chocolate hazelnut spread onto the center of each snowman and then carefully spread around, leaving 1/3 edge untouched all the way around. Set the sheet pans to the side for now.
Remove the second dough disk from the fridge and repeat the rolling-out and cookie cutting process again. You should only cut out as many “tops” as you have prepared bottoms.
Using your finger, dampen the exposed 1/3 edge of a snowman bottom piece all the way around (this will act as our “glue” when it interacts with the flour in the dough). Place a snowman top on the prepared bottom and use a fork to gently seal the edges all the way around (even in the corners!). Repeat with the rest of the snowmen. Poke air holes in the center of the snowmen to allow air to escape during the baking process. Take care not to pierce all the way through to the bottom of the pop tart.
Bake the pop tarts for 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking process. Remove when they are golden, puffed, and set. Transfer to a wire rack after 10 minutes to finish cooling completely.
THE GLAZE
When the pop tarts have completely cooled, make the glaze. In a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat, gently heat the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, whisking constantly. Once the glaze has warmed for a few minutes it will form a light crust over top - that’s how you know it’s ready! Immediately remove from the heat.
Keep your whisk in the pot with the glaze and move the pot next to your pop tarts. Working one at a time dip your snowmen into the glaze, shaking off any excess glaze over the pot. Place the pop tart back on the wire rack or the cooled cookie sheet and quickly pop any air bubbles with a tooth pick. The crust will start to form quite quickly, so make sure to do this part asap. Whisk the glaze in between each dipping since a crust will continue to want to form. Repeat with the rest of your snowmen. Allow the the glazed snowmen to set for 30 minutes.
Once completely set, take a pastry brush (or your finger) and dip into a very small amount of water. Flick or spray the tops of the hardened glaze with the water and sprinkle with the edible glitter. Allow to dry and the shake off the excess.
Pop tarts can been kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days. See reheating instructions in the Notes section at the top of this post.
