{ Cooking Thursday }

Won't you join me and share with us one of your new recipes, or an old family favorite, you can even throw in a recipe for homemade soaps or detergents (just remember to specify).

For the guidelines, you can go here.

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Homemade Pop-Tarts
credit: The Crepes of Wrath who adapted from Genesis of a Cook

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling out the dough)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening, cubed
1/4 cup butter, cubed and at room temperature (I mean it – if it’s cold, it won’t cut into the flour the right way)
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2-3 tablespoons of jam (any flavor is fine)

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk
sprinkles (any kind will do)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl, then add in the cubed butter and shortening. Mix everything together with clean hands until the dough is crumbly.

Add in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a ball. I used a bit less than 2 tablespoons. If your dough gets too wet, add in a bit more flour to compensate.

2. Separate the dough into two balls. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a square, to about 1/8 inch thickness (mine was a bit thinner than that). Cut out long strips about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long. You might have to collect up scraps of unused dough and roll it out again to use up all of the dough.

3. Take one pie crust rectangle and place 1 teaspoon of jam on top (do NOT use more than this, seriously).

Fold the top part of the dough over on to the bottom part (see the above photos). Use a form to crimp the corners of the dough shut. Repeat with the rest of dough. Place the Pop-Tarts on a lined and greased baking sheet (I covered my baking sheet in tinfoil and sprayed it with non-stick spray) and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden and set.

4. Remove the Pop-Tarts from the oven and place the entire baking sheet on a cooling rack; don’t try to remove them from the baking sheet until they’re completely cooled. When they’re cool, place the powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 tablespoon of milk at a time, until the icing is a thick consistency, like syrup. Use a spoon to pour the icing over the Pop-Tarts (you can also use a knife or a spatula). Sprinkle the sprinkles over the wet frosting and allow to set (I put mine in the fridge for about an hour to speed this process up.

Enjoy! Makes 5-6 Pop-Tarts. Stores well in an air-tight container in the fridge for a week.