Blueberry Pop Tarts

With Shavuot less than a week away, I’ve been thinking of the trips that our family took with the Androns,  specifically during this holiday.  We would each pack up our Volvo wagons and take to the road, heading to Palm Springs, Sequoia National Park and Forest, Santa Barbara, and places I no longer remember.  We have shared countless meals together, watched each other’s children grow, participated in family simchas, and supported each other during challenging times.  I used to tease Susan about her L.A. upbringing and how that influenced her cooking, and Saul would tease me about growing up in the Bronx.  The kids (we each have three children, all the same ages) were like siblings, laughing, fighting, having sleepovers, and getting into trouble.  It is a friendship that has continued for 34 years. This past week Saul celebrated a BIG birthday and although Norm and I missed the celebration, we are hoping to see him and Susan next week.  So today, this post is in honor of you Saul, may we have many more opportunities to spend Yontif together, and may our children continue the tradition.

In the meantime, as we prepare to head East for Shavuot, and in spite of a personal pledge that I was going to “stay out of the kitchen” I couldn’t resist baking. I wanted to make something with blueberries that would be easy to transport, easy to serve, and appropriate for the holiday.  So I baked little individual pies that look like pop tarts.

To sweet endings, lazy summers, fresh blueberries, happy birthdays, a growing family, and old friends.  By the way,  guess who’s living in The Bronx now?  Chag Sameach.

Enjoy,

Irene

Blueberry Pop Tarts

Crust Recipe  (enough for about 14 pop tarts)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks chilled sweet butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Put flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. Slowly add 1/2 cup ice water and pulse, only adding more water if dry.  Dough will start to stick together. Remove and gently shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill  for about 2 hours.  Remove when ready to bake and allow dough  to soften before rolling.

Filling

4 cups blueberries

1/2 Tb flour

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plus 1 Tb sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tb whipped cream cheese per pop tart

1 large egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water

2 -3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Cut dough in half for easier handling.  Roll half the dough on a floured surface to about a 15×12-inch rectangle. Trim edges with a knife.  Cut dough into 6 rectangles.
Toss blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Brush edges of rectangles with a little but of water. Using a knife, spread about 1 tb cream cheese across the dough.  Spoon some blueberries in the  center of each rectangle and then fold dough over in half. Using a fork, press edges to seal. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until pop tarts are golden brown, about 35–40 minutes.  Don’t worry when you see that the blueberry juices will run onto parchment. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.  This recipe yielded 16 pop tarts.

Enjoy,

Irene