These charming heart-shaped pastries are not only easy to whip up, but they satisfy my cravings for one of my go-to ultra-processed snacks as a teenager – Pop Tarts. A homemade option offers a less artificial version that in my opinion, tastes even better. Flaky pastry encloses a luscious filling of organic strawberry jam, all topped with a sweet icing. Ideal for Valentine’s Day or just any day you want to relax with a sweet pastry and a cup of coffee or tea.
It’s up to you whether you want to fill the pastries with jam, hazelnut spread, or cream cheese, or if you’d like to use a different cookie cutter shape to suit your needs. Whatever you decide, your personal touch will surely warm hearts!
Heartfelt Sweet Pastries
Yield: 22 pastries (with 3-inch heart cookie cutter)
Ingredients
2 refrigerated premade pie crusts (at room temperature)
Strawberry jam
1 egg
Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used almond extract and it was delicious too)
1 drop of red food coloring (can use beet juice for a healthier option)
Sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Unroll the premade pie crust and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts and place them onto a cookie sheet. You will want to rotate your cookie cutter to get as many cuts as possible out of your pie crust. Knead remaining pie crust and roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut the remaining hearts.
On half the hearts, place 1/2 -1 tablespoon of jam in the center of the heart. It does not need to be perfectly spread. It will even out when baking.
In a small bowl, beat an egg for your egg wash. Brush the inside edges of your heart. Place a heart cutout on top. Now seal the edges together with your finger. Then use a fork and press down to crimp the edges around the whole heart.
Use the fork to poke some holes into the top of the pastry to release steam. Brush the tops with egg wash.
Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes.
Let sit a minute or two and then remove to cool on a wire rack.
While cooling make the icing. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla. Once the consistency is smooth, add one drop of red food coloring to make pink. You can add more drops if you’d like to make red.
Dunk the fronts of the pastries into the icing. You may let it dry and then do another layer. Top with sprinkles before the icing dries.
This recipe was adapted from the blog Weekend Craft.