last week josh and i baked these delectable pastries for our crew.
homemade mini nutella pop tarts
adapted from smitten kitchen’s adaptation of king arthur flour’s recipe
yields an adorable batch of roughly thirteen 2″ x 3″ rectangles
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
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk
1 jar of nutella
1. whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
2. 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.
3. whisk one 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.
4. divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle. you can roll this out immediately or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days. if the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes.
5. place one piece on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick.
6. repeat with the second piece of dough. set trimmings aside.*
7. using a ruler cut each piece of dough into 2”x3” rectangles with a butter knife.
(composite of smitten kitchen images)
8. gently lay half the rectangles on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. crack the second egg and brush it over the entire surface of each rectangle on the baking sheet, creating the “inside” of each tart. the egg will help “glue” the lid on.
10. place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, trying to maintain a bare 1/4-inch perimeter of dough around the nutella.
11. 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. reinforce the seams with the tines of a fork all around the rectangle’s edges. repeat with remaining tarts.
12. prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork so the steam can escape lest the tarts become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. brush the top of each pop tart with egg.
13. refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while your oven heats to 350°F. {full disclosure: i didn’t do this and i didn’t really notice any difference. we were simply too excited to wait…}
14. remove tarts form the fridge and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they’re a light golden brown.
15. generously spread nutella (like so, below) on the top of each tart.
16. try not to bite your fingers as you choke these down. ;)
note: smitten kitchen offers many different flavor options if nutella just isn’t your thing…
*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.
