Homemade Cherry-Almond Pop Tarts

If you don’t have White Lily Flour on the shelves in your supermarket, use regular all purpose flour and add 1 teaspoon (5ml) of either lemon juice or white distilled vinegar to your pie crust mix. This will inhibit the gluten development in higher protein flours and keep your crusts flakey and soft. For reference, White Lily Flour is a low protein (8%) flour made from soft winter wheat.

Before you ask, although cake flour is equally as low in protein, I found it lacking. Cake flour developed a chew when baked that wasn’t unpleasant, but also wasn’t crispy or flakey. If you wanted to attempt substituting a specialty flour for White Lily Flour, I suggest using pastry flour.

Okay there are two reasons for tri-folding the dough as written in the notes. Folding changes the circular or oddly shaped dough, once cut in half, into a shape much easier to roll out into a rectangle without misshapen corners or wonky sections. Second, it gives just a little bit more layering when baked. It’s not a rough puff or full puff pastry, but it definitely gives your pop-tarts a bit more height and flakiness.

There are actually quite a few options here:

1. Pectin is a natural, vegan gelling agent derived from mostly citrus or apples. I suggest using original Sure Jell powdered pectin made to use with sugar. You’ll need 2 teaspoons (4.5g) of pectin per 2 cups (300g) of pitted cherries. To use it, switch the thickener and divide the sugar in half. Pectin needs to be dry mixed with sugar so it doesn’t immediately clump when introduced to liquid. So, half the sugar goes into the first cook down, while the pectin is mixed into the second half and set aside. After boiling, blending, and returning the filling to the sauce pot, bring it back to a boil and slowly mix in the sugar-pectin combo. Be careful not to let the temperature dip as you add in the pectin. It will begin to set if it the temperature drops too much. From there follow the instructions as written.

2. Xanthan Gum is derived from sugars made during fermentation of corn, soy, or wheat. It is used as an emulsifier, and will give the filling a raw egg like elasticity that is useful in keeping it from spreading as filling or icing. This was probably my least favorite texture out of the thickeners I tested (cornstarch, pectin, and xanthan gum) but it definitely works and you can’t tell once the pop-tarts are baked. To use this you will need 1/4 teaspoon (.9g) per 2 cups (300g) of pitted cherries. Add the xanthan gum at the very end with a hand or stand blender.

Honorable mentions I haven’t tested, but are worth attempting:

1. Chia Seeds: (1-2 tablespoons (20g) per 2 cups of pitted cherries) Chia seeds are going to also create a raw egg like texture before baking. Of note: If you don’t want to blend the seeds into the juice, it’s probably best to tinker with the icing before adding the seeds. I suggest starting with 2 tablespoons of juice instead of 3 since you are working with an un-thickened filling.

2. Nothing: There is something to be said about using a cherry reduction. As long as you are cooking the juice low and slow, it will thicken without burning. If you want to try this method, I’d increase the ingredients for the filling by 50% or simply double them so you will have enough once you finish. Also, this will take time, think somewhere between an additional 30-60 minutes.

I am THAT person when it comes to texture, so I prefer a silky jelly. But, I get it if you want a chunky, jam-like filling. To embrace the thicc, you have two options:

1. Chop up the cherries to your size of choice before boiling them and then leave the filling as is (no blender or strainer).

2. Skip the countertop blender for an immersion blender and leave the sauce rustic before thickening it (no strainer).

Knowing if your filling will set takes an instinct that I just do not have. But, I will crawl so you can walk dear friends. And, until you are experienced enough to run, have no fear and use the cold plate test. Before you start the filling, put a thick (ceramic, porcelain, glass) plate into your freezer to chill. Then when you finish your filling and turn off the heat. Get out your cold plate and spoon a bit of the jelly onto it. You can let that sit on the counter or in the refrigerator for about 2 minutes and then check to see if it’s begun setting.

Extra anecdote: I did notice that the pectin continued to set when left overnight, unlike the cornstarch and xanthan gum. Those stayed about the same once chilled.

If you don’t have citric acid for the icing, you can also use lemon juice. Keep in mind, it won’t be quite as tart and you may need to tinker with the viscosity of the icing, since you are adding liquid and not powder. The ratio is roughly 1:4, 1 tablespoon of citric acid to 4-5 tablespoons of lemon juice. So, you’ll need 1-1 1/2 teaspoons (5-7.5ml) of lemon juice to replace the 1/4 tsp (1.6g) citric acid.

The best option would be a clean, unused paint brush. You can also use a paper towel, coffee filters, or your fingers in a pinch. The award for most creative option I’ve seen online goes to: a small bouquet of leafy greens. I mean, how fun does that sound?!

You betcha! You can purchase either pie crust or puff pastry at the store to act as the shortcrust and any fruit preserves would work fantastically here. Not me grabbing as many jars of apricot preserves as I can right now. lol. Just start the recipe from the icing step and work through it from there. I would recommend replacing the filling before the pastry. There isn’t anything like fresh pastry dough. And, jelly/jam can be temperamental depending on lots of factors: ripeness of the fruit, type of fruit, temperature and time on the stove, etc. If you cut a corner, filling is the first to go in my book.