Description
Delight in these Strawberry Pop Tart Cookies, a perfect blend of flaky, buttery dough filled with sweet strawberry jam and topped with a luscious powdered sugar frosting. This easy 7-step recipe yields a batch of charming cookies that capture the nostalgic flavor of classic pop tarts with a homemade twist, ideal for any occasion or sweet craving.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling and Frosting
- ½ cup strawberry jam
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for frosting)
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (for frosting)
- Sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; this blend will give the cookies their structure and slight rise.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using a mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture turns light and fluffy, ensuring a tender cookie texture.
- Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract thoroughly to combine the wet ingredients and add flavor to the dough.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually incorporate the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until a smooth dough forms, ready for rolling.
- Shape and fill cookies: Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut into rectangles or your desired shapes. Arrange half of the dough shapes on prepared baking sheets. Spoon a small amount of strawberry jam onto the center of each of these base cookies.
- Seal and decorate: Place the remaining dough pieces on top of the jam-filled bases, pressing edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp edges decoratively, preventing jam leakage during baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden, indicating perfect doneness. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks for complete cooling.
- Prepare frosting: Mix powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk until you achieve a thick but spreadable frosting consistency, perfect for topping the cookies.
- Frost and decorate: Once cookies are fully cooled, spread the frosting evenly on top and add sprinkles if desired for a festive and colorful finish.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened, not melted, to achieve the best cookie texture.
- Do not overfill the cookies with jam to avoid leakage during baking.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats on baking sheets for easy cleanup and to prevent cookies from sticking.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the icing from melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These cookies can be frozen before frosting; thaw completely before adding the glaze.
