Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
In this week's Junkyard Tales story, “The Busy Rabbit's Trick,” Lil Mamma, the busy rabbit, loves Halloween. She loves it so much that the costumes, antics, and tricks start a week prior to Halloween proper, and all the junkyard animals know to watch their step and question everything they see. Could it be a trick? Could it be a busy rabbit in disguise?
Lil Mamma is good at camouflaging herself to play her Halloween tricks on the other junkyard animals, and this week's recipe is a masquerade of sorts, as well. It's homemade pop tarts!
While store-bought pop tarts are undeniably delicious, for those of us seeking less processed, sugar-y snacks, they have to be confined to a rare treat.
Even the magic of Halloween will never transform pop tarts into health food, but by making them at home you can make them just a little less processed... just a little bit better for you. And beyond that, you can have a lot of fun playing with your favorite flavors.
These pumpkin pie pop tarts are a nod to Lil Mamma's love of all things Halloween. You can make them with or without the glaze, and you can even add sprinkles if you're really trying to trick someone into thinking they're the store-bought kind.
Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze
(makes 4 tarts)
Ingredients
- For the pop tarts:
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 9-inch pie crusts
a few tablespoons of flour for dusting
- For the maple glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons milk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, and egg yolk until well incorporated. Set aside.
On a floured countertop, roll out the pie crust. Using a 3x5 index card as a template, cut eight rectangles out of the dough. Arrange four of the rectangles on a parchment covered bake sheet. Spoon the pumpkin filling evenly on these four rectangles, then top them with the remaining four rectangles.
Use the tines of a fork to crimp and seal the edges, then use a sharp knife to cut a small “X” in the top of each tart to keep them from exploding.
Bake the pop-tarts for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow them to cool for at least half an hour, then make the glaze.
To do so, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 2-3 tablespoons of milk — just enough to make the glaze drizzly. Spoon the glaze over the pop-tarts, and allow it to harden for at least a few minutes before enjoying.
These are delicious the next day, too. Just microwave them for about 10 seconds for a yummy breakfast treat.
If you loved this recipe, here is another pumpkin recipe to try:
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
