Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until you have pea-size pieces with a few flatter shards. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons ice water and mix just until the dough holds together when pressed. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.

Chill. Divide dough into 2 discs, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 days in the fridge). If it gets very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes so it rolls without cracking.

Cook the filling. Add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4 to 6 minutes until juicy. Stir cornstarch with water, then pour in and cook 30 to 60 seconds until thick and jammy. Cool completely.

Prep your setup. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc to about 1/8-inch thick. Trim into a neat rectangle, then cut into 8 rectangles (about 3 x 4 inches). Repeat with the second disc for 8 more rectangles. You will have 16 rectangles total which makes 8 pop tarts (8 bottoms + 8 tops).

Fill. Place 8 rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cooled filling into the center of each, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Keep the filling centered so the edges can actually seal.

Seal. Whisk egg with milk. Brush egg wash around the borders. Top with remaining rectangles and press edges to seal. Crimp with a fork. Poke 6 to 8 small holes on top of each pop tart for steam.

Optional chill (cleaner edges). If your kitchen is warm or your dough feels soft, chill the assembled pop tarts for 10 to 15 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and leak less.

Bake. Bake 20 to 24 minutes until the edges are deep golden and the bottoms look set and lightly browned. Cool on the pan 10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Glaze. Make sure the pop tarts are fully cool (warm pastry turns the glaze into a slippery mess). Whisk powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add a tiny splash more milk if needed. Spoon or drizzle over cooled pop tarts. Add sprinkles if using. Let set 15 to 20 minutes.

Eat or stash. Serve at room temp, warm briefly in a toaster oven, or freeze for later. If you are using a pop-up toaster, I strongly recommend toasting them unglazed and glazing after so nothing drips and burns.