Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! Last year, I posted a recipe for Homemade Toaster Strudels. This morning, before the kiddos went to school, I surprised my favorite valentines with sweet, tasty, fruity, homemade Valentine Pop-Tarts. Sweets for my sweeties:) Needless to say, Mom prevailed a hero (a great way to start the day).

I used the same idea as the Toaster Strudels, except this time, I substituted refrigerated pie dough to emulate the Pop-Tarts sold in grocery stores (our kiddos love, but I am not a fan). Yes, I certainly could have made the pie dough from scratch, but considering school mornings are crazy enough, I opted for grocery store refrigerated pie dough.

Since February is Cherry month (didn't know that did you?), I decided to go with our Cherry Butter for the filling (but any of our Butter Spreads or **Preserves (see below) could be used in this recipe).  And, because it is Valentine's Day, I went the extra step and used large heart-shaped cookie cutters to seal the deal.  These "Pop-Tarts" were delicious by themselves, and adding gooey icing and sprinkles made these semi-homemade "Pop-Tarts" irresistible! Hands down, these homemade Pop-Tarts are far better than the grocery store versions and are our children's new favorite. Try our homemade version today. You may never go back to store-bought Pop-Tarts again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you for visiting. Comment below if you have tried this recipe and if you have pictures to share.

Ingredients

• 2 rolls of room temperature refrigerated pie dough

• Cherchies® Cherry Butter (or could substitute Cherchies® Strawberry Butter, or Cherchies® Apple Butter, or any of our **delicious preserves, mixed with 1 Tablespoon of corn starch).

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 Tablespoon (or more depending on consistency) heavy cream

• 1 or two drops of food coloring (I actually used 1 Tablespoon of additional Cherry Butter in the icing in lieu of food coloring)

• 1 large heart-shaped cookie cutter- Approx. 4 1/2 inches in diameter (optional)

• Sprinkles (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly flour your prep surface.  Roll out the dough over the counter or prep surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.  If making simple Pop Tarts (not using cookie cutters, cut off rounded ends of pie dough, and cut pie dough into rectangles).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Add about 1-2 Tablespoons (depending on size of cookie cutter) with Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread to the center of the dough, making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch around the perimeter of the dough for sealing.

Place another piece of dough gently over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal the tart.  Seal well to keep the tasty fruit inside from seeping out. 

Brush the egg over the entire tart, and bake in the oven until the tarts are golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before icing the tarts.  

While tarts are baking, mix the icing.  In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and food coloring (in my case, I used the Cherry Butter to color the icing).  If icing is too thick, add a couple drops of heavy cream at a time to thin the icing.  Icing should slightly ooze off the spoon.  While tarts are still warm, scoop a large spoonful of icing and drizzle it over the pop tarts.  If desired, add sprinkles and watch them disappear!  

Enjoy!

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Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe

Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe

Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe

These savory fig cuties hit all the flavor notes in one tasty bite and are a breeze to make for any occasion.

The intense flavors of the savory garlic, tangy brie cheese, and sweet figs, make this a recipe one to cherish.  This recipe is perfect for those last minute holiday celebrations.  For a sweeter version of this recipe, check out our Hot Pepper Jam and Brie Cups Recipe.  Or, live on the edge and bring both;)

Ingredients

• 15 Mini frozen Phyllo cups (We used Athens Mini Fillo Shells)

• Cherchies® Fig Preserves (or substitute with our other tasty preserves)

• 1/2 Brie Cheese Wheel (about 6 0z.)

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic and Herb No-Salt Seasoning Blend

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove rind from brie and cut into chunks (about 1 teaspoon).  This is an old picture.  Obviously I did not remove the rind.  Some prefer the rind left in tact, while others do not. Your choice.

Place phyllo cups on a baking tray and add a Brie chunk to each cup.  Sprinkle each of the cups with a small amount of Cherchies® Garlic & Herb No-Salt Seasoning Blend.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Fig Preserves.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, or until brie just begins to melt.  

Remove from oven and serve warm or room temperature.  Garnish with a little thyme and help yourself!

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Fig Prosciutto Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe

Cook Time:  10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Figs, take two!  It is fig season and my obsession continues.  This quick and easy mouth-watering recipe hits all the flavor notes, it comes together in minutes, and is perfect for any occasion.

Figs, yes, please! It is fig season, and this quick and easy mouth-watering recipe hits all the flavor notes; it comes together in minutes and is perfect for any occasion.

Thank you to my friends Nancy, who gave me this fabulous recipe idea, and Colleen, who gave me additional cheese pairing ideas! When I mentioned our new Fig Preserves, both responded, "Oh, I love figs!". Nancy shared a recipe she recently had for lunch, which included figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto over toasted crostini. I added a rosemary balsamic reduction to the mix, and OMG, talk about a party flavor in your mouth! 

This recipe would be perfect as a light lunch, afternoon snack, or an elegant party appetizer, assembled as pictured or artfully arranged on a cheese plate with meats, cheeses, mustards, fruits, etc. See "How To Create Create a Cheese Plate." The sweetness of the Fig Preserves, the tang of the goat cheese, the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the flavor burst from the balsamic reduction will send your taste buds into overload. This recipe is easy and elegant and a must for your recipe collection!  

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have used any of these hacks or if you have some to add. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients (per crostini)

• Italian bread or baguette, sliced diagonally 

• 1 large log of goat cheese (could substitute Blue Cheese for a more intense flavor.  Thank you, Colleen)

• Cherchies® Fig Preserves

• Slices of prosciutto (1/2 lb., depending on how many making)

• 1 small clove of garlic, peeled

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

Preparation  
In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar and rosemary on low until they reduce to a syrup consistency (about 10 minutes). Set aside to cool briefly. Pour the reduction through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl to remove the rosemary pieces.

Toast the bread.  Since I was making this for myself as a snack, I toasted two slices of bread in a toaster.  If this recipe is to be shared with a crowd, then place the bread slices on a tray and cook in a 350 degree oven until bread is lightly toasted.  Once the bread is lightly toasted, remove from the oven or toaster and gently rub the top of each slice with the clove of garlic.

Now it is time to assemble these delicious gourmet treats.  For a crowd, consider assembling right before your guests arrive.  Depending on the size of the toast, spread the toasts each with about 1 teaspoon (tsp) of goat cheese, then about 1 teaspoon (tsp) of Fig Preserves, and then loosely place one or two slices of prosciutto on top.  There's no need to measure.  

Right before serving, drizzle the crostini with the balsamic reduction or leave on a tray for guests to help themselves.  Easy peazy and absolutely tasty!  Enjoy!

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Fig Bars Recipe

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Fig Bars Recipe

Cook Time:  45 Minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

Updated November 2024.

Life is short; eat figs!

Isn't it funny how our tastes can change over the years? Thankfully, mine did, and so did my children's. Otherwise, we would have missed out on the joy of figs, and life would not be as good!

I never thought my once-picky children would enjoy figs, but they love them, especially our newest preserve: Cherchies® Fig Preserves with Cinnamon. They also love taste-testing all the recipes on the blog.

These decadent fig bars are a fig lover's dream—sweet, buttery, and full of "figgy" goodness, bursting with cinnamon and a hint of coconut. This mouth-watering recipe is easy to make and perfect for any occasion, whether as a dessert, snack, or breakfast treat. Just a tip—hide some away in a cabinet, pantry, or bedroom (just kidding!) because these tasty morsels will be devoured before your eyes, leaving you without any fig bars, and life will not be as good.

So, all you fig lovers out there, add this easy fig recipe to your recipe cache and tantalize your friends and family's tastebuds. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this recipe. Revisit us for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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*Note- If you do not like figs, this recipe works well with Cherchies® other preserves or Cherchies® Butter Spreads.

Ingredients  
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for a gluten-free option, substitute Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
1 10 oz. jar Cherchies® NEW Fig Preserves with Cinnamon (Feel free to substitute any of our preserves in this recipe, our Blackberry Preserves, Cranberry Preserves with Champagne, or Cherchies® Butter Spreads.

Topping Ingredients  
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup flour (for a gluten-free option, substitute Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
1 teaspoon (tsp) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 stick of melted butter
Extra coconut for garnishing (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and gradually add the flour to the butter mixture.  Spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 pan and press down evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes.  

While the crust is cooking, prepare the topping.  In a small bowl (or you can use the same bowl you used to make the bar crust...why dirty more dishes), combine all the ingredients for the topping until crumbly and set aside.

When crust is finished cooking, remove from oven and cool slightly.  Spread Cherchies® Fig Preserves with Cinnamon evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the topping ingredients over the preserves and return the fig bars to the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until bars are lightly browned.

Sprinkle with more coconut to garnish the bars, but this is completely optional.  It makes it look pretty:) Voila! The perfect easy dessert, snack, or breakfast treat.  Enjoy!

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