Gluten Free Homemade Mini Pop Tarts

I have been wanting to make pop tarts for quite some time now, but thought it would be more difficult with gluten free flour. I was wrong! It was quite simple. Lately, (since making my last two desserts) my favorite part of the whole process is the last bit where you get to put your final touches on your creation (decorating, duh!). The same goes for this recipe. Once the pop tarts have cooled, that is when the show really starts. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did (and hopefully you don't eat them all too!)

*Makes: 15 pop-tarts

Ingredients

For dough:

• 2 1/2 cups (350g) plain gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons (120g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk, at room temperature

To assemble dough:

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons of water
• brush

For fillings:

1. Brown sugar

• 5 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 5 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2. Nutella
3. Raspberry jam
4. Any other filling you'd like to use

For glaze:

• 3/4 cup (85g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Or you can just use milk and powdered sugar for a cinnamon-free glaze.

Directions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F/180C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk to combine well. 

Step 3: Add the melted butter, vanilla and milk, and mix to combine (I used my hands). The dough will be thick and a bit greasy. Split dough into 2 pieces and form them into a rectangular disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and stick in the fridge for 30 minutes (at least). 

Step 4: While the dough is in the fridge make your cinnamon filling. 

Step 5: And your cinnamon glaze. 

Step 6: And your sugar glaze. 

Step 7: Take the dough out of the fridge. Unwrap one of your rectangular discs. Make sure there is flour out on the counter top so that the dough doesn't stick to it (You will need a few handfuls). Work between your hands until the dough becomes much less greasy and able to be rolled out. Roll your dough out as similar to a rectangle as possible. It should be about 1/4 of an inch thick. Using a pizza or pastry cutter, cut out a rectangle. Then cut out 8 (or more if you can) smaller rectangles and place them on your greased cookie sheet.

Step 8: Place them in the fridge while you prepare the other dough. Take your other disc of dough and do all of step 3 with it as well. Once you have cut 8 pieces of dough almost identical to the others in the fridge, you will now need to prick the dough.

Step 9: Grab a fork and poke holes with it all over the dough (I did about 6-8 per rectangle). Once you have pricked all pieces, take your other pieces of dough out of the fridge. You will need an egg and 2 teaspoons of water. Mix them together and using a brush, coat the dough that was in the fridge with the egg mixture. Then add your fillings (about a teaspoon each rectangle, depending on size, more or less). 

Step 10: Cover each rectangle up with the pricked rectangle. Press on the edges to adhere, and push down gently on the filling to slightly flatten.  Using a fork dipped in flour, crimp the edges of the tarts

Step 11: Bake pop tarts until they are golden brown, (I baked mine for exactly 25 minutes, but I would do it for about 20 minutes and keep them in additional minutes as you please). Once they are done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding your glaze and decorations. Enjoy!