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In the Oven: Chocolate Pop Tarts with Peanut Butter and Jam Filling

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We’re in the home stretch for Baked Occasions… Next up is the gentlemen bakers’ riff on a nostalgic treat. Posting date is August 13!

Chocolate Pop Tarts with Peanut Butter and Jam Filling
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 10 pop tarts
Ingredients
  • For the Chocolate Pop Tart Dough
  • 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (130 g) cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks/225 g) frozen unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) cubes
  • For the Peanut Butter and Jam Filling
  • 3⁄4 cup (195 g) creamy peanut butter
  • 4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1⁄2 to 2 cups (480 to 640g) strawberry jam or preserves
  • For the Cocoa Frosting
  • 2 to 2 1⁄2 cups (225 to 280 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (25 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
  • For Décor
  • White, yellow, and orange sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE POP TART DOUGH
  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
  2. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, and vanilla until combined. Set aside.
  3. Remove the mixing bowl from the standing mixer and scatter the frozen butter over the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mix until the mixture is pebbly and the butter chunks are lentil size.
  4. Place the mixing bowl back on the mixer, add the wet ingredients, and beat on the lowest or second-lowest speed until the mixture comes together and a dough starts to form. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and bring it fully together with your hands, kneading ever so gently. Do not overwork this dough. Form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM FILLING
  1. Place the peanut butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and immediately pour it over the peanut butter and chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the mixture by hand until it is completely smooth. Whisk in the vanilla until just combined. Set aside to cool to room temperature. The mixture will thicken as it sets.
ASSEMBLE THE POP TARTS
  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Rewrap half of the dough and return that portion to the refrigerator. Place the other half on a flour-dusted work surface and dust a rolling pin with our as well. Roll out the dough (it will be sticky) into a rectangle approximately 10 by 13 inches (25 by 33 cm), about 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch (3 to 6 mm) thick. (If the dough becomes too sticky, return it to the refrigerator to chill.) Cut the dough into 3-by-4-inch (7.5-by-10-cm) rectangles. If you have scraps, you should be able to reroll them at least once and cut more rectangles. Place the rectangles on one of the prepared pans and refrigerate them. Roll out and cut up the second half of the dough, place the rectangles on the second prepared pan, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. You should end up with approximately 20 rectangles in total, the same amount on each sheet and an even number altogether.
  3. Place the peanut butter filling in a large zip-tight plastic bag. If it does not feel thick enough to pipe just yet, pop the filling in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to help it set quickly. Snip a small corner of the bag to create a do-it-yourself pastry bag and set aside. Do the same with another plastic bag and the jam.
  4. Remove the first pan of chilled dough. Pipe the peanut butter filling in a Z shape over the top of the rectangles, making sure to leave a 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) space along the perimeter. Pipe the jam in an inverse Z shape over the peanut butter lling, again making sure to leave a 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) space along the perimeter. Using a pastry brush, brush water along the exposed 1⁄2-inch (12 mm) perimeter of the dough.
  5. Remove the second pan of dough from the refrigerator. Carefully place each of these chilled rectangles directly on top of the filling on the first pan of rectangles, lining up the edges of the rectangles. Seal the pop tarts by pressing the dough together along all four edges. Dip the tines of a fork in flour and use the tines to crimp the sealed border of the dough. Using the same fork, prick the surface of each pop tart three or four times to create vents. Place the pan back in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  7. Bake the pop tarts, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the tarts appear dry to the touch, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE COCOA FROSTING
  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder until uniform in color. Add 1⁄4 cup of the milk and the vanilla and keep mixing until the frosting starts to come together; the texture should be thick and almost sandy. Add the cubed butter all at once and beat on medium-high speed until the frosting looks spreadable. If the frosting is too thin, add a little more sugar; if it is too thick, add a little more milk.
  2. Use an offset spatula to frost each cooled pop tart. Top with a pinch of white, yellow, and orange sprinkles, if you like. Allow to set for 15 minutes, then serve immediately.
Notes
[i]How to store[/i]: The pop tarts taste best when eaten within 24 hours.

 

In the Oven: Traditional Linzer Cookies

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Get ready to roll and cut, bakers! Posting date is July 31.

Traditional Linzer Cookies
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (150 g) blanched almonds, toasted (see page 19)
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 8 ounces (225 g) jam (we recommend blueberry rhubarb)
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
  1. Put the almonds and ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the almond mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one more time and then mix again.
  4. Turn the dough out (it will be tacky) onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with your hands. Form the dough into two disks and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Unwrap one dough disk and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a round 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) thick, flipping and lightly sprinkling it with flour as needed so it doesn’t stick. Using a 2½-inch (6-cm) round cookie cutter, cut the dough and transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space around each cookie. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated and rerolled, if desired. Continue the process with the remaining dough disk, and distribute the pieces equally between the two trays. Freeze the trays of cookies for 5 minutes.
  7. If you like, you can bake the windowpane cutout scraps as well. Line one more baking sheet with parchment (if you don’t have another baking sheet, you can place them on a large platter or plate lined with parchment until the sheet is free). Remove one sheet of dough from the freezer. Make the windowpane cutout: Working quickly, using a small cookie cutter (round, or heart- or star shaped, about 1 inch/2.5 cm in diameter), cut out shapes directly in the middle of each round of cookie dough. Place the cutout shape scraps on the last sheet or platter, if desired. Set aside. Remove the other sheet from the freezer, but leave the cookies intact. (In total, only half of your cookies should have cutouts.)
  8. Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until they are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the wire racks to cool completely. (If you reserved your cutout shape scraps on a platter, transfer them to one of the empty baking sheets and bake until set, 6 to 8 minutes. Again, place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool.)
  9. Flip the cookies that are wholly intact (with no cutout) and spread an even layer of jam, about 1 teaspoon, over the cookie bottom. Dust the cookies with the cutout with a little confectioners’ sugar, then place them directly over the jam-covered cookies. Dust the cutout shapes with confectioners’ sugar as well, to eat alongside the assembled linzers. Allow the cookies to set for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
[i]How to store[/i]: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.