churro fudge poptarts
POPTARTS!
CHURRO POPTARTS!
The absurdity of Poptart flavors nowadays matches that of Oreos. I never feel more hyperaware that I reside in America than when I browse down a snack aisle. Where I lived in Sweden, there actually was a dedicated store with American and British-made brands, like Jif peanut butter and Weetabix. Granted, the prices are absurdly inflated and I didn’t purchase anything, but I did browse once among the aggressive batches of US and UK flags and found the whole affair rather humorous.
Add Churro Fudge Poptarts to the list, except these are homemade and loads tastier than boxed shenanigans.
The poptart base is essentially pie crust with a touch of cinnamon to elicit the churro vibe. As with pie, the key is cold butter. Some people like to freeze chunks of butter, but an undisturbed bout in the fridge is certainly apt. The poptarts hang in the fridge again once they’re assembled, so they’ll be nice and cold for baking as well.
The fudge sauce is more or less the same as in my No Churn Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream. Chocolate chips, cocoa powder, Kahlua (optional but really lovely if you wish to try it), heavy cream, and vanilla melted to gooey perfection on the stovetop. A bit of time in the fridge assures the sauce hardens up enough to fill the poptarts. How many times can I say fridge in this post before I lose my shit.
From the fridge the tarts go to the oven to get nice and golden. Afterwards, the fun part…cinnamon sugar.
Wouldn’t be a churro without cinnamon sugar.
We enjoyed a pair of poptarts with coffees in the afternoon, as we do with most of my baked goods. You may toast these, but don’t do it in the toaster. The oven or a toaster oven set at 350 is ideal. Hell, if you have some fudge sauce leftover, feel free to drizzle it overtop after coating with the sugar. I’d imagine that might give you divine joy.
These are a luxury when you aren’t sure if you crave cinnamon or chocolate.
Swirled Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake is another option for a cinnamon dream. Or, how about a Skillet Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie for more chocolate?
What is your favorite poptart flavor?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup cold milk (whole, oat, or heavy cream)
- 1 egg, for brushing
fudge filling
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Kahlua (optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
coating
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 4 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Start with the fudge sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa powder, Kahlua (if using), and vanilla until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or Pyrex measuring glass. Refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes. You may have fudge sauce leftover from filling later on.
- In a food processor, combine flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse cubes of butter into the flour mixture until fine crumbs, no larger than the size of a pea, are formed. Slowly stream in cold milk until a cohesive dough ball forms. It may be somewhat shaggy, and should not be sticky at all. If you don't have a food processor, you can perform these steps by hand. Cut the butter with your fingers, two forks, or a pastry cutter.
- Generously flour a clean, flat surface. Roll dough into an approximately 9 x 13 inch rectangle at 1/8 inch thickness. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter (what I recommend), slice 18 rectangles about 3 x 4 inches. Lightly beat the egg and brush around the border of each rectangle.
- Remove fudge sauce from the fridge. Dollop a rounded tablespoon of sauce into the center of 9 of the rectangles. Set an unfilled rectangle overtop each filled rectangle., Use a fork to crump the perimeter of each together.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set poptarts on the prepared sheets and transfer to the fridge to chill at least an hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes.
- When the poptarts are ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 15-18 minutes until poptarts are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 20 minutes.
- After the poptarts have cooled, whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow dish. To coat, brush the top of a optart with butter, then dip into the cinnamon sugar and press gently to thoroughly cover the surface. Brush the bottom with butter and dip. Repeat with remaining poptarts.
- If you want, toast each poptart at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes before serving.
