Blueberry, Lime, and Mint Pop Tarts

August 26, 2013

Blueberry, Lime, & Mint Pop Tarts | une gamine dans la cuisine

"I already loved you in some vague wherever, and my nostalgia for that love makes everything in my present life a tedium. Perhaps you are just my nostalgia for something, and embodiment of some absence, the presence of some Distance..."

~ Fernando Pessoa, from The Book of Disquiet (translated by Robert Zenith)


Blueberry, Lime, & Mint Pop Tarts | une gamine dans la cuisine


As the warmth of August slowly morphs into milky, water-colored September, I'm homesick for a somewhere ago  very far away...something that never happened (or maybe it did?). It's strange. I'm strange, I know. But here it is, and here I am - filled with an intangible sense of longing for a pair of blue eyes from another lifetime. My thoughts are utterly scattered...

Flour, butter, and sugar - pantry staples that keep me grounded. Unlike thoughts and emotions - they are consistent. Unafraid. Even if dough breaks as it's rolled out, I know it can be patched together or made into something else. (A lot of my tarts began their journey as a pie.) Luckily for my own sanity, this recipe came together beautifully, and as planned.

These are not actually Pop Tarts - they do not require toasting or warming and they are a far cry from their store-bought cousins. Think of them as rectangular-shaped hand pies. I infused the pastry with fresh mint from my garden and key lime zest, there's also a splash of lime juice in the blueberry filling. I'm quite happy with the results! The mint isn't too loud, but you can definitely tell it's lurking about. Feel free to omit the mint completely if you're not a fan - the blueberry and lime make a symphonic duo on their own. If you're feeling particularly inspired, let your imagination take over - I'm dreaming about strawberries and basil! 


Blueberry, Lime, & Mint Pop Tarts | une gamine dans la cuisine


blueberry, lime and mint pop tarts
makes about 9-12 pop tarts

for the pastry
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
grated zest from 6 key limes (or about two regular limes)
about 1/2 tablespoon fresh mint, bruised + crushed
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (that's two sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
6-8 Tablespoons cold half & half cream (or whole milk)

for the filling
2 cups fresh blueberries
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar (use more or less depending on the sweetness of the berries)

prep
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar


method
Prepare the pastry: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, lime zest, and crushed mint. Use your fingers to rub the zest and mint into the sugar until moist and fragrant. Whisk in the flour and salt. Add the cold bits of butter - toss to coat.

Place everything into the bowl of a large food processor. Using several short bursts, pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal (it will look very dry). Transfer the mixture back to the large mixing bowl and place the bowl into freezer. Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer and sprinkle about 3 Tablespoons of the cream (or whole milk) on top of the mixture. Use a wooded spoon, a rubber spatula (or your hands) to gently work the cream into the dough. Keep adding cream, one Tablespoonful at a time, and mixing, until the dough starts to form a ball (you might not need all 8 Tablespoons). Don't add too much cream - the dough should be cohesive and slightly wet, but not sticky. Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Flatten each piece of dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. {Note: Well wrapped, the dough can be refrigerated for three days.}

Prepare the filling: Place the blueberries, lime juice and sugar into a medium-size saucepan. Stirring occasionally, cook over med-low heat until the mixture resembles a thick jam. Remove from the heat: Cool completely before using.

Roll out the pastry: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one disc of dough from fridge - if it's too hard, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes. On a generously floured surface, roll the dough out into a wide rectangle - about 1/8-inch thick. Use a sharp pairing knife to cut out an even number of small rectangles - my tarts were about 2 x 4-inches. (If you're anal and neurotic, like me, use a ruler to help keep things uniform.) Keep re-rolling the scraps of dough until it's all used up. Place rectangles onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Brush half of the rectangles with the beaten egg and add a healthy dollop of blueberry filling. Spread the filling out slightly but leave a 1/4-inch bare border. Cover the filling with the remaining rectangles of dough. Use your fingers to press the rectangles together and seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Place the sheet into the fridge and chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat with the second disc of dough. {Save the egg wash - you will be using it again.}

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Remove one sheet of tarts from the refrigerator. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and use a fork to poke several holes through the top of each tart - sprinkle with a little bit of granulated sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tarts are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the sheets onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

19 comments:

  1. Darling little "pop tarts" - I'm smitten with these flavors!

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  2. I'm feeling pretty scattered now too, Valerie. It's hard to feel settled when your thoughts are anything but.

    Needless to say, it's hard to believe these tarts were created by anything except the most serene mind. I don't eat a lot of junk food, but pop tarts are one thing I have a weakness for. If I recreated these, I know I'd never long for the store-bought kind again!

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  3. Valerie, I'm just loving your recipe for these tarts! I just adore blueberries--especially with lemon or lime. LOVE that you used key lime zest in your pastry. Believe me, I am feeling scattered, too. (Even fighting against a copyright violation as a food blogger. Not fun.) Hope you have a great week and it is less scattered, girl!

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  4. Normally I skip breakfast just b/c I'm not that inspired but these inspire me! Gorgeous & pinned! Best poptarts I've ever seen!

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  5. Oh Valerie, you always steal my heart! These are sooo genius!

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  6. Blueberry and Lime belong together in my book. These don't need to go in the toaster, because they are much better than those kinds. I think you were reading my mind I was going to make pop-tarts the other day, but got distracted by cookies. I have to refocus. Hope you are off to a good start this week.
    -Gina-

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  7. Pretty and divine looking! I bet they taste a billion times better than the store-bought ones.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  8. So sweet and charming! Love the addition of lime and mint. Gorgeous. It's hard not to feel scattered this time of year I think, the beginning of a new busy season and the end of a sun filled lazy one.

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  9. these are amazing pop tarts Valerie! I am incredibly smitten with the flavors - genius!!

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  10. I love that you added mint.
    I've always wanted to with blueberry but wasn't sure.
    You've confirmed this!

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  11. Homemade pop tarts are just a million times better than the shop-bought version. These look truly scrumptious - love them.

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  12. One thing I have to admit is that I'm not that adventurous when it comes to adding herbs to baked goods. Or flowery ingredients like lavender, or any of that kind of stuff. I'm not opposed, but I just can never quite imagine the flavor. Still, these sound so sophisticated and exquisite, and I'm sure even without the mint, they would be awesome!

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  13. Valerie-your posts always make me smile ;)
    I think that the journey to 'pie-dom' holds possibilities to offer us so much more than a finished pie! And in the case of the creation of your high quality mini pastries -which I can see from the brilliant photos-
    the sought after or perhaps imagined finished larger pie fades into distant memory as we feast our eyes on your wondrous creation :)

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  14. Sorry for the long absence, but it's nice to come back to this! I need one (or two) of these freshly baked goods! Reminds me of my younger years. Definitely light years better than the store-bought stuff!

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  15. oh these handpies are adorable! and the pastry is from scratch! impressive.

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  16. Holy smokes!! These look absolutely terrific! I make homemade "poptarts" all the time, but believe me when I say that they never looked as pretty as yours.

    Did you find "blue eyes"?! ;-) Hope all is well, sweetheart!

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  17. Been wanting to take a closer look at these since I saw them on instagram the other morning-wow! Just love this fresh flavor combo. So lovely for the end of summer.

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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