Spooky Strawberry Pop Tarts with Cardamom Cream Cheese Icing
Dessert
Spooky Strawberry Pop Tarts with Cardamom Cream Cheese Icing

Recipe by: Christine Fiorentino

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Happy Halloween!

We love this creative Halloween treat, using the spookiest pair: Holy Sheet and Dutch Baby (*ahem* cauldron) in Pepper.

Christine Fiorentino, @christinefiorentino_

Ingredients

Yields 6 large (or 12 small) pop tarts!
    Pop Tarts:
  • 2 sheets of prepared puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons of water
  • 3 ½ cups of quartered strawberries (about 1 pound)
  • ¼ cup of maple syrup
  • ¼ cup of cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 small lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
    • Cardamom Cream Cheese Icing:
  • 2 ounces of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar
  • 4-5 tablespoons of heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon of cardamom
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of light corn syrup
  • 60 drops of orange food coloring (about half a bottle)
  • Black flaky salt, for topping
  • Eyeball candies (various sizes are even more fun!), for topping

    • Egg Wash:
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons of milk
Cookware Used
Holy Sheet
Nonstick Half-Sheet Pan
$40
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Dutch Baby
3.5-Quart Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
$140
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Big Chill
Nonstick Cooling Rack Duo
$50$40
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Pop Tarts

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Prepare the slurry. Add cornstarch and water to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Place aside to thicken.

2. Gently unroll thawed pastry sheets onto two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Use a paring knife to cut each sheet into 6 equal rectangles. Place aside covered with damp paper towels.

3. Add strawberries, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and kosher salt to Dutch Baby. Bring to a simmer, covered, over medium heat. Add slurry and stir to combine. Continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until filling is soft and thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer cooked filling to a bowl. Cool completely at room temperature.

4. Top 3 of the puff pastry sections with ¼ cup filling, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges for sealing. Top each with remaining 3 puff pastry sections. Press down edges with fingers to seal, and then with a fork to flatten and form a firmer seal. Use a silicone brush to coat each prepared pop tart with egg wash (method below). Place pop tarts on a clean parchment lined sheet pan. Bake 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cook time.

5. Remove pop tarts from oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack set over a parchment lined sheet pan. Allow pop tarts to cool COMPLETELY. Once cooled, top each with Cardamom Cream Cheese Icing (method below). Sprinkle with black flaky salt. Top with eyeball candies.

6. Leave frosted pop tarts to set on cooling rack until icing is hardened, about 40  minutes. Serve immediately, store in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months.

 

Cardamom Cream Cheese Icing

 

In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cardamom, and corn syrup until combined and a thick icing forms. Add orange food coloring and stir to evenly combine. If you want a darker shade of frosting, add 2 additional drops food coloring at a time. Store at room temperature until ready to frost pop tarts.

 

Egg Wash

 

Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl.