Blueberry Lavender Pop Tarts

The end of summer brings with it so, so much nostalgia. 

Everywhere you look are adverts for back-to-school this, and autumn that. While I’m no longer in school, how can I forget the end of August memories of butterflies in my stomach; both the nervousness and excitement of heading back to the classroom for another year. And with it, the so-not-good-for-you snacks. The completely processed and heavily sugared packaged treats that we loved as kids.

A childhood favourite — which I’m sure many of you may agree with — was Pop Tarts. A few minutes in the toaster, a little snip of that clear plastic pouch — and voila — we had before us a hot pastry swimming in frosting. What more could you ask for as a kid, really?

As my tastes have refined a tad since then and I’ve come to adore the homemade, I have for you today Pop Tarts made from scratch. They’re still doused in frosting, but these particular ones include another nostalgic end-of-summer moment for me. British Columbia is the land of fresh blueberries in the summer, among other things. They truly are one of my favourite things about our summers here; put a big bowl of blueberries in front of me and I will happily peck away all day long!

As blueberries are sadly transitioning out of season, I thought I’d savour them one last time in an elegant manner. New in my baking cabinet is a jar full of lavender buds that I’ve been itching to use, and what better way to do so than by pairing with like colour tones? I hope you enjoy this elevated childhood favourite, rich with deep violet hues and fragrant with delicate lavender.

BLUEBERRY LAVENDER POP TARTS

Makes roughly 8 pastries

Blueberry Lavender Filling

* This makes more filling than is needed to fill 8 pop tarts

Ingredients:

2 cups of blueberries

1/4 + 1/8 cups (90 mL) sugar, plus more if needed

A slurry of 1 TBSP cornstarch & 1 TBSP hot water, whisked well

3/4 TSP of lavender, crushed with hands

A couple pinches of salt

Water, as needed, 1 TBSP at a time

Directions: 

• First, make the filling. Over medium heat add the blueberries and sugar to a pot. Heat until sugar dissolves.
• Add the slurry (mixture of cornstarch and hot water; water must be hot to prevent lumps from forming) and simmer, stirring continuously.
• Next, add the lavender. Stir until thick like a jam, adding water if needed to thin it out. It will thicken more as it cools.
• Add a couple pinches of salt and do a final taste test to see if any additions are needed. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Next, make the pastry. 

Pop Tart Pastry

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 TBSP sugar

3/4 TSP salt

2 egg yolks

4 TBSP cold cream (or milk), plus more if needed

About 2 whole eggs, for egg wash

Directions: 

• Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Then, in a food processor or with your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. You want some of the butter to be pea-sized. It will be done when it holds together after you squeeze it in your hands. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Add to the flour and mix until it comes together, adding a tablespoon more of cream at a time if needed. Try not to over-mix; it’s ready when it’s not crumbly, and the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. 
• Split the dough into two balls and gently knead each one. Flatten into disks and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
• Take the disks out of the fridge and roll each out into a 6 inch x 16 inch rectangle, leaving a couple extra inches per side as room for error. 
• Cut each large rectangle into 8 smaller rectangles that measure 3 inches x 4 inches. So, 16 rectangles in total. (There will be extra dough.)
  
• On the 8 rectangles you’ll be using as the top layer, prick with a fork several times to let steam escape while baking. 
• Place the 8 rectangles you’ll be using as the bottom on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Whisk one of the eggs in a small bowl to use as egg wash; brush onto all four sides of each rectangle on the tray. 
• Fill the centres with a spoon or so of the Blueberry Lavender Filling you’ve already prepared. Make sure not to over-fill and to leave enough empty space on each side so it doesn’t seep through the edges. 
• Place the tops that you’ve pricked with a fork on each pre-filled base. Seal the edges properly with your fingers, and then with a fork. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400°F. 
• Remove from fridge. Depending on the size of your baking tray, see how many can comfortable fit on the tray so they can bake properly. I could only bake 4-5 at a time on mine; keep the rest chilling in the fridge. Using the other egg as egg wash, brush onto the tops of the pop tarts, getting into each nook.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown, turning the tray midway if needed to get an even bake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and bake off the remaining pop tarts that have been chilling. 
• As they’re cooling, prepare the icing (recipe below). 

Lavender Icing

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, or more if needed to thicken the icing

1 1/2 TBSP cream (or milk)

1/2 – 1 TSP lavender (to taste), crushed with hands

2 TSP (or so) of blueberry lavender filling, strained to prevent lumps of blueberries

More lavender, for sprinkling on top

Directions: 

• Add all ingredients to a bowl, except the extra lavender for garnish (save until pop tarts are ready to be finished), and whisk. Make sure the consistency is perfectly smooth, but VERY thick so it doesn’t slide off the pop tarts.
• Add either more of the icing sugar or cream to change the consistency, or more of the strained blueberry lavender filling to adjust the colour (this will thin out the icing a bit).
• Spoon on in a thick layer and sprinkle the pop tarts with extra lavender buds while the icing is still wet. Enjoy these floral, fruity treats!

Notes: 

• The recipe for the Blueberry Lavender Filling makes more than is needed to fill 8 pop tarts and colour the icing. Use the remaining filling as a compote, such as atop waffles or pancakes!
• If you’d like to prepare the pop tarts and bake them at a later time, do all the steps until the pop tarts are filled and sealed. Then, place them gently in an air-tight container (lined with parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking) and freeze until needed. When ready to bake resume by brushing the tops with egg wash. And only make the icing when ready to use so it stays fresh. 
• If you prefer a less-sweet pastry (and something more “refined”), feel free to skip the icing. Instead, just before baking sprinkle the tops of the pastries (that have been brushed with egg wash) with coarse sugar. Bake as indicated above. I really enjoyed this! 
• To enjoy these pop tarts after the first day, store in an air-tight container, preferably un-iced. This makes it easy to reheat so you can enjoy warm, either from the microwave or the toaster (as it was meant to be)! This works great for the “refined” version mentioned above!