Pumpkin Spice Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze

Pop Tart Real Talk:

These pop tarts are a revelation and a tick off my 4 Simple Goals list (flaky pastry, yeh!)

These pop tarts are considered breakfast because there is a hint of maple in that sticky glaze on top of that crispy pastry.

These pop tarts eat up all those pumpkin carving leftovers, ensuring no waste and more happy faces.

So, if I said it, would you agree that Pumpkin Spice Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze are an extremely positive force of nature and must be baked immediately? Good, I will continue.

I found myself going a little bit Great British Bake Off on this post, scraping the bottom of my tarts with a knife, inspecting the chunks of butter for the right size as they are rubbed into the flour and amending my go-to sweet spice blend with fragrant cardamom. I was in it for the top gong, and even though I was only competing with myself, I feel like the star baker badge has been firmly placed on my chest.

Pop tarts were never something I liked as a child, but stripped back and made homemade, they are wonderful – essentially a sweet portable pie with a fluffy fragrant filling, flaky buttery pastry, a tang of maple and a crunch of salted pumpkin seeds. Simple and full of goodness, these pretties are the perfect accompaniment to my morning coffee in the office.

If you think adapting this recipe with fresh strawberries, vanilla and thick cream, topping with strawberry sugar would be an awesome idea, I’d say right on – Wimbledon sweet pasties! But for now, let’s stick with pumpkin spice, before I go all cranberries and apricots on you. Happy November readers!

 

Adapted from Joy the Baker 

You Will Need

For the Pie Crust

300g self raising flour

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

225g unsalted butter

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

For the Filling

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

2-3 cardamom seeds

1 mug of pureed pumpkin (around 1 halloween pumpkin carvings worth)

50g caster sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs (one to seal the edges of the tarts and to glaze)

For the Glaze

75g icing sugar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons milk

Salted pumpkin seeds to decorate

Tip 1: This is the perfect recipe to use up the insides from carving a pumpkin. For crisp seeds, place on a baking tray and roast in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes until crisp and brown then season with salt. Perfect for snacking and topping these tarts. The pumpkin puree can be made by placing the innards of a carved pumpkin in a saucepan and covering with water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry in the colander. Smooth with a wooden spoon and squeeze out any excess water. Use puree within 5 days and keep refrigerated.

Tip 2: The off cuts of pie crust and leftover filling make cute miniature pies. Cut circles from the leftover pastry and place in a mini cupcake tin, pricking with a fork. Fill with pumpkin spice puree and bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is crisp. Top with salted pumpkin seeds.

To make the pie crust, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in the butter to the size of peas (this isn’t shortcrust, so don’t go too fine with the crumbs). At this point, the dough should hold if squeezed together. Whisk the egg and milk together and pour into the buttery mix. Stir to combine, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly until it comes together. Split the dough in half and wrap in clingfilm, then refrigerate for around 30 minutes.

To make the filling, grind the cinnamon, ginger and cardamom pods together in a mortar and pestle until fragrant. Add to a saucepan with the pumpkin puree and heat until the spices fill the room. Remove and place into a bowl and stir through 1 egg, sugar and salt. Place in the fridge until needed.

With one ball of dough, roll out on a floured surface to around 1mm thickness. Cut into a neat rectangle then cut into 6 rectangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and chill as you repeat the process with the second batch of dough.

Beat the other egg and then trace the edges of the cut rectangles with a pastry brush. Add a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each tart, and then top with a pastry rectangle. Seal the edges with a floured fork, pressing down the joins and then refrigerate as the oven comes up to temperature.

Preheat the oven to 180oc/160oc fan/gas mark 4. Brush the tops of the tarts with the remaining egg wash, prick with a fork then bake for around 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the tray carefully with a palette knife and leave to cool.

Combine all the ingredients for the glaze together then drizzle over the tops of the tarts. Top with salted pumpkin seeds and serve.

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