These homemade pop tarts are filled with homemade bourbon blackberry jam and are the perfect treat for when you want to feel like a kid! The jam in these is delicious, but you can substitute it for any jam you would like!
Bourbon blackberry jam turns these into an adult pop tart and a more special version of the childhood classic!
Why you will love this recipe:
This recipe combines my favorite bourbon and butter pie crust with my favorite bourbon blackberry jam (it would also be amazing with my strawberry bourbon jam!). The pastry is very flakey and has tons of flavor (there isn't anything I can't stand more than a tasteless pie crust, which is also why I am a firm believer in a butter pie crust).
They are then topped with a blackberry glaze that perfectly complements the pastries!
Key ingredients:
- Butter: Butter is incredibly important in pie crust. Butter not only adds fat and flavor, but it is what helps create all the flakey layers.
- All-purpose flour: flour adds structure to the pie dough; it's what holds all the butter together.
- Water: Water helps hydrate and bind the pie dough together
- Bourbon: bourbon is used both in the pie crust and in the filling. In the pie crust, it helps to make a really flakey crust. Part of the alcohol evaporates and makes a very flakey crust. The bourbon also adds a gorgeous flavor to the filling.
- Fresh blackberries: fresh blackberries are used to make this wonderful blackberry jam.
How to make this recipe:
- Start by making the jam. The jam takes 30 minutes to 45 minutes, so start with this and then move on to your pie crust.
- Next, make your pie dough and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Once the dough has chilled, roll it out into two thin layers.
- Use a rectangle cutter or stencil to cut out each layer into 6 pieces.
- Put 1-2 tablespoons of jam onto the bottom layer of dough. Use a little water to wet the outer rim of the dough.
- Place the top layer on top and seal by pressing the rim with a fork.
- Use a knife the cut vents into the tarts.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until golden brown.
- Make the glaze by mixing together the ingredients with a fork or a whisk; if the mixture is too thick, add a little more water until you get a consistency you like.
Tips for success:
Tips pie crust dough:
- Use cold or frozen butter. Cold butter helps create air pockets in the dough, which helps creates flakey layers. Room temp butter will thoroughly blend into the dough and not create those layers.
- I use a food processor to make my pie crust pastry; bakers much debate this method. Pie crust pastry gets its magic from adding just enough water for it to hold together, and it's easier to tell how much water is needed by mixing it by hand. It also is easier not to over-mix the dough when it's done by hand. But it is also a lot more work.
- To make sure you don't over blend the dough, pulse the food processor a few times, and then check to see the butter crumbles' size. You are looking for the pea to lima bean size chunks. When it looks ready, grab and handful and squeeze it together; if it forms into a dough, it's ready!
Tips for perfect jam:
- Once your jam starts to thicken, watch it very closely. You want perfect consistency. Cooking it for too long will result in a claggy texture and too little a runny texture.
- When testing the recipe on the frozen plate, really look at the texture. The consistency it has on the plate will be very close to how it will end up being in the jar. Err on the side of a loose consistency because there is nothing worse than claggy jelly!
FAQ's
How long does this recipe keep for?
Pop tarts are really easy to store. They can be left covered at room temperature for two days can be sealed in an air-tight container for four days.
Bourbon & Blackberry Pop-Tarts
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 pop-tarts 1x
- Category: pastry
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
These homemade pop tarts are filled with homemade bourbon blackberry jam and are the perfect treat for when you want to feel like a kid! This jam in these is delicious, but you can substitute it for any jam you would like!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup cold bourbon
- ¼ ice water
- 1 egg for the wash
For the filling:
- About 1 cup bourbon blackberry jam
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water + more if needed
- 2 tablespoons bourbon blackberry jam
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
For the crust:
- Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse and few times to blend everything together.
- Add in the cubed cold butter and pulse until the butter is pea and lima bean-sized. Add the bourbon and water and mix just enough so it lightly comes together. It will still look loose but will stick together when you squeeze a chunk of it in your fist.
- Pour the dough out onto a well-floured surface and lightly knead until it forms a disk. Divide it into two equal disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
To assemble the pop-tarts:
- Roll out the doughs into about a 10x14 sheets.
- Using a rectangle cookie cutter, or a rectangle stencil, cut out 6 pieces out of each layer, 12 rectangles in total.
- Place half of the pieces on a lined baking sheet and add 1-2 tablespoons of the jam.
- Dip your finger in a bit of water and run it around the outline of the rectangle (this will help it meld to top layer).
- Place the remaining pieces on top and seal using a fork to push down around the border. Poke a few holes in the dough for the steam to release.
- Repeat with the remaining rectangles.
- Whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon water and brush over pop-tarts.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until light brown.
For the glaze:
- Mix together the ingredients with a fork or a whisk, if the mixture is to thick add a little more water until you get a consistency you like.
- Using a spoon pour over cooled pop-tarts and eat up!!
Notes
- Use cold or frozen butter. Cold butter helps create air pockets in the dough, which helps creates flakey layers. Room temp butter will thoroughly blend into the dough and not create those layers.
- I use a food processor to make my pie crust pastry; bakers much debate this method. Pie crust pastry gets its magic from adding just enough water for it to hold together, and it's easier to tell how much water is needed by mixing it by hand. It also is easier not to over-mix the dough when it's done by hand. But it is also a lot more work.
- To make sure you don't over blend the dough, pulse the food processor a few times, and then check to see the butter crumbles' size. You are looking for the pea to lima bean size chunks. When it looks ready, grab and handful and squeeze it together; if it forms into a dough, it's ready!
Elizabeth says
These were amazing!!!!