Blueberry Pop Tarts with Lemon Frosting. Delicious hand pies filled with fresh blueberries. Baked until the berries are oozing out the sides, and the pastry dough is lightly golden. Fresh tangy lemon and sweet blueberry frostings adorn each pie.
I like making these little hand pies as a treat for guests because they’re fun to make, quick to prepare, look cool, and I can create several fillings to ensure everyone gets a pie they will love. In a few minutes I can turn some fresh apples or strawberries into a brown sugar cinnamon apple pop tart, or a strawberries and cream pop tart.
With a double batch of dough, I can make a half dozen varieties of these delicious mini pies with minimal effort. As a gift box, this pop tart variety pack is visually impressive. And each breakfast treat is packed with flavor, top to bottom.
These pop tarts use fresh blueberries that have been heated briefly on the stove to release their juices. The juices mix with a thickening agent, in this case, cornstarch.
Why You Should Make These Pop Tarts
- the dough and frostings can be made in advance.
- perfect eaten warm out of the oven, glazed or frosted.
- lemon + blueberry is a classic combination.
- these delicious hand pies are great for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
- these pop tarts store very well.
How To Make Blueberry Pop Tarts with Lemon Frosting
I usually make the pop tart dough, blueberry filling, and the frostings in advance. They can be made the night before, refrigerated and are ready to go the next day.
Dough:
All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt are added to a small mixing bowl and whisked to combine.
Cold butter is added to the flour mixture and cut in using a pastry blender or the back of a fork. The mix should resemble coarse crumbs.
Egg and heavy cream are added to a small bowl, whisked to combine, and added to the butter and flour mixture. Dough is stirred with a wooden spoon until it comes together and the egg is incorporated.
Alternately, this dough can be prepared in a food processor.
The dough is shaped into a rectangle and set aside for 30 minutes for the flour to hydrate completely. The dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days, if desired.
A flat surface is dusted lightly with flour. Half the dough is rolled into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. 4 x 3-inch rectangles are cut using a ruler and a knife, a pastry cutter, or a pizza cutter. Alternately, cut the shapes you want your pop tarts to be. Dough cut outs are arranged on a parchment lined baking sheet. Scraps can be re-rolled.
The remaining half of the dough is cut into matching pieces to top the cut outs on the parchment paper.
Blueberry Filling:
Fresh blueberries, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and cornstarch are added to a small saucepan and heated over low heat until he juices start release from the berries and the mixture begins to simmer. The berries are removed from the heat and set aside to cool. A teaspoon of the blueberry juices are set aside to flavor and color a small amount of frosting.
Egg Wash:
An egg is added to a small bowl, and whisked. Half and half is added to the beaten egg and whisked to combine. The egg wash is used to glue the two pieces of dough together and keep the filling inside the pie. The egg wash can also be brushed over the filled pastries before they enter the oven. The egg gives the pie crust a shiny look. You can also use milk, half and half, or heavy cream for the task of giving the crust a shiny exterior.
Pop Tart Assembly:
About a tablespoon of the cooled blueberries are spooned onto the pop tart dough pieces resting on the parchment paper, leaving about 1/2-inch of space around the edges. The egg wash is brushed around the uncovered edges.
A matching piece of dough is place over the filling and the two pieces of dough are secured using your fingers along the edges, or using the back of a fork.
Tops of the pop tarts are pricked with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Pastries baked for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Blueberry pop tarts can be served warm from the oven or, or cool completely and frosted.
Frostings:
Unsalted butter is added to a stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment, beaten on medium speed for 5 minutes. The sides of the are scraped down, if necessary.
Powdered sugar is added to the stand mixer with the butter and beaten on medium speed for an additional 5 minutes. The sides of the are scraped down, if necessary.
A small amount of the unflavored frosting is removed, placed in a small bowl. Reserved blueberry puree is added to the frosting, and stirred with a fork or spoon until the bluish purple color is consistent.
Fresh lemon juice, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring gel are added to the stand mixer bowl. The frosting is beaten on low for 1 minute on low speed, or until the yellow color is consistent.
Frostings are spread onto the tops of cooled pop tarts using a small offset spatula, or the back of a tablespoon.
Other Brunch Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular brunch recipes include apple butter pop tarts, baked lemon blueberry doughnuts, blueberry coffee cake, peach strawberry pop tarts, jumbo peach blueberry muffins, roasted strawberry pop tarts, and mixed berry pop tarts.
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Blueberry Pop Tarts
Ingredients
Dough:
- 256 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 12 grams granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 6 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 230 grams unsalted butter (1 cup OR 2 sticks), cold and cubed
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 30 grams half and half (2 tablespoons)
Blueberry Filling:
- 166 grams fresh blueberries (1 cup)
- 10 grams fresh lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
- 3 grams cornstarch (1 teaspoon)
Egg Wash:
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 15 grams half and half (1 tablespoon)
Lemon and Blueberry Frostings:
- 56 grams unsalted butter (1/4 cup OR 1/2 stick)
- 120 grams powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 5 grams fresh lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
- 1 drop lemon extract, optional
- 1 drop yellow food coloring gel
- 5 grams blueberry puree (1 teaspoon)
Instructions
Dough:
- Add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and kosher salt to medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter for several minutes until mixture resembles crumbs in texture.
- Add egg to small bowl. Whisk briefly. Add half and half to beaten egg. Whisk to combine. Add egg mixture to dough. Stir to combine.
- Press the dough into a rectangle, and let rest for 30 minutes before rolling out. Alternately, you can wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out.
- Divide the dough in half. On a well-floured flat surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Lightly flour the rolling pin, if necessary. Move the dough every so often, lightly flouring the surface of the dough and board. Flipping the dough over will also help to ensure its not sticking to the board.
- For these blueberry pop tarts, I went with a 4 x 3-inch rectangle shape.
- Cut your sheets of dough into square, rectangle or circular shapes. Using a spatula, or a bench scraper, transfer the dough shapes to a parchment lined sheet tray. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut into matching pieces.
Blueberry Filling:
- Add the fresh blueberries, fresh lemon juice and cornstarch to a small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat until the berries release some of their juices and begin to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir to ensure the cornstarch has dissolved. Allow to cool. Set aside.
Egg Wash:
- Add egg to small bowl. Whisk briefly. Add half and half to beaten egg. Whisk to combine.
Pop Tart Assembly:
- Spoon the cooled blueberries on to the pop tart dough pieces resting on the parchment paper, leaving 1/2-inch of space around the edges. Brush the egg wash around the uncovered edges.
- Place a matching piece of dough over the filling covered piece. Use your fingers to crimp the edges to ensure a good seal. Alternately you can use a fork.
- Prick the tops of the pop tarts with the tines of a fork to allow steam to escape.
- Bake pop tarts for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Serve warm, or cool completely before applying frosting.
Lemon and Blueberry Frostings:
- Add unsalted butter to stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.
- Add the powdered sugar to the stand mixer and beat on medium speed for an additional 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.
- Remove a small amount of the frosting and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the fresh lemon juice, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring gel to the stand mixer bowl. Beat for 1 minute on low speed, or until the color is consistent.
- Add the blueberry puree to the reserved frosting in the small bowl. Stir with a fork or spoon until the bluish purple color is consistent.
- Decorate the cooled pop tarts with the lemon and blueberry frostings using a small offset spatula, or the back of a tablespoon.
- Best served at room temperature.
