Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

ROASTED STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC JAM

1. Place the strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover the bowl and leave to sit at room temperature for an hour.
2. Toward the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 325°f / 160°c.
3. Transfer the macerated berries and their liquid into a 9”x13” baking pan or other similar sized pan (something with with sides, don’t use a baking sheet), and add the vanilla, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine.
4. Roast in the oven for 2 hours, checking and stirring every 30 minutes, until the fruit has darkened and the syrup has thickened (2 hours should be plenty of time).
5. Remove from the oven and crush the berries slightly with a fork or a spatula, then transfer to an airtight container, straining off any excess liquid if needed (reserve for syrup for cocktails etc). Cool and then store in the fridge.

PIE DOUGH

1. Place flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut butter into chunks, and add to the flour. Toss lightly to coat. Working quickly, using a pastry blender or  your fingers,  cut the butter into the flour mixture until there are only small pea-sized chunks left.
2. You want the butter pieces to be a little smaller and more incorporated than a standard pie crust.
3. Combine ice, water and cider vinegar in a bowl. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the ice water into the flour and butter mixture, and using a stiff spatula or your hands, mix in well. Continue adding water a tablespoon at a time ( I normally need about 8-10 tbsp) until you have a dough that holds together well, but is not too wet.
4. Squeeze together with your fingertips to make a homogenous dough. Shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Rest in the fridge for an hour, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, fold it in thirds like a letter, then roll again and repeat the folding.
5. Shape back into a rectangle and rewrap tightly in plastic, and rest for at least two hours before using, preferably overnight.

ASSEMBLY

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a large rectangle (at least 15”x16” - you want it to be able to fit 20 3”x4” (7cm x 10cm) rectangles). If you are worried about it getting too warm and soft, you can cut it in half and do this in two parts, or I like to roll it out and then cut it into two pieces and chill those briefly in the fridge before cutting the smaller rectangles out.
2. Using a ruler and a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the pastry into 3" x 4" rectangles (7cm x 10cm). You should get 20 rectangles. Place the cut rectangles carefully onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 10 mins or freeze for 5 mins to help firm up the pastry slightly.
3. Remove the pastry rectangles from the fridge and match up into pairs. Prick the piece that you are using for the top piece using a skewer or toothpick. Lightly brush the edges of one piece of pastry with egg wash, then add a rectangle of the strawberry balsamic filling, smoothing to flatten.
4. Top with a second piece of pastry, pressing down lightly around the edges to seal, ensuring that there are no air bubbles. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, then trim down with a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining rectangles of pastry until all the hand pies are assembled.
5. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough becomes very firm. If you are planning on freezing them for a longer period of time, freeze solid then transfer to an airtight plastic bag.
6. While the pies are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 325°f / 160°f. Remove the pies from the freezer.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pies are pale golden brown on the tops and bottoms (lift one up the check the bottom) Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before icing with royal icing and sprinkles.
8. To make the royal icing, combine the egg white, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add water a ¼ teaspoon at a time until you have a spreadable texture (you don’t want it to be too thin), then transfer to a piping bag and snip a small hole in the tip.
9. Pipe a rectangle border of icing on the pop tart, then fill in using the piping bag. Leave to smooth out, then finish with sprinkles. Allow to dry at room temp for an hour to allow the icing to harden.
10. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. You can rewarm briefly in the oven before serving to help crisp up the pastry.