Tarts and Pastries - Cooking Classy

S’mores Pie

Jaclyn — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 16:31:07 +0000

This S'mores Pie is the ultimate summer dessert! A crisp, buttery graham cracker crust is topped with a layer of rich, fudgy chocolate filling and it's finished with a billowy marshmallow fluff-like topping. It's an absolute dream!

Easy S'mores Pie Recipe

All the classic s'mores flavors blended into a three layered incredibly decadent pie that's served perfectly chilled and refreshing!

Usually we all things of s'mores as a summer dessert but thanks to this pie you can have a s'mores dessert any day of they year when the craving strikes.

It begins with a simple homemade graham cracker base (which I made to include a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness of the pie), then it's layered with a silky smooth chocolate filling that melts away in your mouth, and next it's topped with a meringue (the kind that will remind you of melty marshmallows).

And last but not least it's toasted to stunning golden brown finish with a culinary torch.

Trust me it's a struggle to wait to dive into this s'mores pie. There may just be a slice missing when you take it to the party, it's just too irresistible!

Apple Galette

Jaclyn — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 21:56:18 +0000

Apple Galette - A buttery pie-style crust is layered with plenty of sweetened fresh apples and then baked until the fruit is tender and the crust is beautifully golden brown and supremely flakey. It's one of the absolute best fall desserts!

Easy Homemade Apple Galette

Some of you may be asking what is a galette anyway? A galette, which translates to "flat cake," can be various types of free form, flat or round French pastries. In English it is pronounced "gah-let."

This variation is what I would call an easier alternative to a classic pie. It is basically the humbler, more rustic version of apple pie yet it transcends expectations and is a treat for the eyes with it's thin slices, browned edges and pleasing circular pattern.

You'll appreciate that there's nothing too fancy and complicated, just an old fashioned, made-by-hand method to achieve the dreamiest fall dessert!

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the most enjoyable pairing and sublime flavor!

Just imagine it, a crisp and flaky, truly unbeatable crust finished with a crunchy coarse sugar. Then blanketed over are tender, lightly tart, warmly cinnamon spiced apples. And it's all crowned with rich, creamy, sweet vanilla ice cream.

Talk about tempting! If only it could pass for a decent breakfast I'd be eating it everyday.

Cannoli (Shell and Filling Recipes)

Jaclyn — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:01:47 +0000

Cannoli!! This recipe makes a crisp and flaky cannoli shell enclosing a lusciously creamy, sweet ricotta filling which is dotted with decadent dark chocolate chips. In other words, pure dessert bliss! These homemade Italian pastries may require a little more effort than some other desserts but they are well worth it!

Looking for more cannoli inspired desserts? Try these flavors in my cannoli cupcakes, dip, cheater cones, ice cream, cream puffs, and bite size treats!

These cannoli taste just like the best ones I've gotten at Italian bakeries! They have the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

The cannoli shells are perfectly tender and flaky, like a flake away in your mouth kind of texture.

The ricotta cannoli filling is rich and deliciously sweetened, and those little flecks of mini dark chocolate chips swirled throughout just amp up that already immensely satisfying flavor.

But if you still want to boost flavor you can add extra cinnamon, orange zest, maraschino cherries, or vanilla to the filling. And optionally finish by dipping ends in crunchy pistachios.

Don't be scared away by the number of steps in this recipe, the first time will likely go slow but once you get the hang of it these cannoli will become a breeze to prepare. And they may even become a new holiday or party tradition!

These delectable Italian delicacies are truly worth learning to make!

Watch the Cannoli Video!

[wprm-recipe-video]

Strawberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries

Jaclyn — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 18:03:16 +0000

Strawberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries - A simplified, perfectly tasty pastry recipe! Made with a flaky layer of store-bought puff pastry, a creamy, tangy sweetened cream cheese filling and fresh strawberry topping. Who wouldn't love them?

An Easy Breakfast Pastries Recipe

Let's be honest, what's the real reason we all love the holidays? I think many of us could say it's all about the food!

Holidays only come about 10 times a year so it's fun to have a day of splurging with delicious treats like so.

Though these may appear just fit for Valentines day this heart shaped, tender and flaky puff pastry breakfast is sure to put a smile on anyones face any day of the year! They are great for making in the summer when all the fresh fruit is in season too.

And since these begin with store-bought puff pastry they are easy to prepare. And who could resist that cream cheese strawberry combo?

Churros

Jaclyn — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 05:00:14 +0000

In my opinion Churros are one of the worlds best desserts - when made fresh from scratch of course. These are hands down the best churros I’ve ever had, even better than those I got in the Mexican market. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside and they have a flavor no one can resist!

The Perfect Churro Recipe

We've all had those churros, the kind that come in a long uniform straight form, that were previously fried, frozen then reheated and they're sitting there for hours next to the hot pretzels. Every now and then you'll come across one that's okay, but most of the time no thanks.

That's because I've had real churros and nothing compares. Fresh homemade churros are the best out there!

I've decided these need to be a new tradition for family parties. I made these earlier this week for the blog then a few days later made them again for a family party and you would not believe how quickly they disappeared! Definitely faster then I could fry them.

And everyone was begging for me to make a second batch! That included my brother who couldn't care less about dessert and lots of picky eating kids. Everyone wanted more.

They can seem a little intimidating if you've never made them before but they really are a breeze to make. Simple ingredients, straight forward method and I've shared the steps and tips below so you can make a perfect batch too!

(Note that pictured in the photo above is nearly two batches)

Watch the Churros Video!

[wprm-recipe-video]

Puff Pastry Fruit Tarts with Ricotta Cream Filling

Jaclyn — Wed, 18 May 2016 16:37:31 +0000

Hello summer! Er, almost. To me it feels like it's summer outside so I'm just going to go with it and make all the good summery desserts - like these utterly decadent and purely irresistible Puff Pastry Fruit Tarts with Ricotta Cream Filling! These tarts are so many of my favorite things in one perfect little individual dessert! You get a perfectly flaky, perfectly golden, sky-high puff pastry (shhh, no one needs to know we just used store bought. None of us have the hours and hours it takes to make it homemade) and they're filled with the most luscious ricotta filling (it consists of ricotta, cream cheese, heavy cream and sugar so duh, how could this not be amazing?), and it's finished with fresh, colorful berries. Simply put, they are so dreamy and you need to make them!

I'm already planning out the next time I get to make and indulge in these tempting treats again! I'm thinking Memorial Day or July 4th and probably, most definitely breakfast tomorrow. It just seems right. I'll just add extra fruit to feel better about things :). Make them soon, everyone will love these!

Petite Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Jaclyn — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 06:24:30 +0000

I never really used to be much of a scone person, but now that I've seen all that can be done with scones I'm crazy about them! I've made Vanilla Bean Scones (also a smaller version like these), Pumpkin Scones, Maple Oat Pecan Scones and Cranberry Orange Scones. And to keep a good thing going I made these irresistible, brightly flavored Petite Lemon Poppy Seed Scones. These are such a delicious breakfast/brunch treat and they'll most definitely remind you of a lemon poppy seed muffin or cake but with a little less sweetness.

The dough for these may be a little sticky to work with, so with that said if you are worried about it you can cut back the cream 1 Tbsp or you can go for it and be willing to work with a slightly sticky dough because in the end it will yield a moister scone.

Petite Vanilla Bean Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Jaclyn — Fri, 08 May 2015 22:34:34 +0000

This may be a little last minute but your Mother's Day brunch menu needs these scones on it! They are unbelievably delicious! They are inspired by the Petite Vanilla Bean Scones at Starbucks. I bought one there last week and while it was good these are so much better! They are soft and moist and the vanilla flavor in them is so refreshing.

I thought these sweet, mellow scones paired perfectly with a vibrant, tart cup of Hibiscus tea. That's only how I ate the first one then after that I was just snarfing them down all day, so elegant and ladylike right :)?

These scones are brimming with vanilla bean seeds, as in so many my mom told me she thought they were poppy seeds from the photos. I was happy to see how much my mom loved them! She hasn't been eating many sweets as of late because she's on a low sugar diet (just out of choice not health reasons), but I just kept watching her reach for one after another as we were sitting there talking. It's definitely easy to lose track of how many of these you've eaten. They are a little smaller than the traditional scone (not quite as tiny as Starbucks) so that helped me feel a little better about it when I began to lose count. Try them soon, you'll love them too!

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

Jaclyn — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 23:57:22 +0000

It's that time of year again where kids are headed back to school and many of you are looking for healthy school lunch snacks or after school treats. This dip isn't just great for kids though, this is a delicious dip that both young and old alike will love.

You are going to love how incredibly easy it is to make! It only takes 3 simple ingredients and less than 2 minutes prep. All you need is a bowl and a whisk (or fork even) and like a spec of muscle power. I'm thinking a 1 year old could make this dip.

This dip makes healthy eating seem awesome (because yes, it can be when done right). It's creamy and sweet yet at the same time it is made with good for you ingredients. And if you're a yogurt eater, you will likely even have all the ingredients stocked in your kitchen now.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

The easiest drip recipe ever! Made with healthy ingredients and perfect served with fruit for a midday snack.

2 (5.3 oz) containers Vanilla Greek Yogurt (or 1 slightly heaping cup)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey (, or to taste)

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend until smooth. Serve with fruit (recommended bananas, apples, raspberries or strawberries). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Adapted from: Family Fresh Meals

Homemade Pop Tarts

Jaclyn — Fri, 30 May 2014 22:35:59 +0000

These Homemade Pop-Tarts are so much better than the store-bought kind! They're filled with strawberry jam and finished with a sweet and simple vanilla icing.

Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tart Recipe

Once you try these delicious homemade pop tarts you'll never look at store-bought pop tarts the same! I haven't really cared for the store bought ones since I was probably 10 years old, but my husband and kids still love them. I decided to show those up and make a homemade version just so my husband could see how blah the other ones are.

These things melt in your mouth! Yes, they are a bit of work just for a breakfast pastry but they are totally worth it once you get to sink your teeth into one. If you wanted to do semi-homemade, you could use a store-bought pie crust but I think that kind of defeats the purpose of making them homemade.

For the jam, I used Smuckers Low Sugar Strawberry preserves and I thought it was perfect because you could actually taste the strawberry and not just sugar or an artificial sweetener (not a sponsored statement, just liked the jam).

For the glaze, I decided to use half and half instead of just milk to give it a lightly creamy flavor. Then to finish these off sprinkles are a must, right? I used funfetti sprinkles and also just some red sugar sprinkles (not pictured) and they made them look just like the real thing.

I highly recommend that you try these homemade pop tarts at least once. But then once you do you'll be hooked and you'll never want to go back to the real thing, so you likely just make double batches and store them in the freezer :).

They are perfectly tender and flaky and that buttery flavor is far from whatever oil is used in the boxed kind. As a matter of fact, why not try them this weekend? Yes, I think you better.

Homemade Pop-Tarts Ingredients

For these flaky pop tarts, you'll need:

All-purpose flour
Salt
Granulated sugar
Unsalted butter
Ice water
Strawberry preserves
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Half and half

How to Make Homemade Pop-Tarts

Make pop tart dough by pulsing the flour, salt, sugar, butter and ice water in a food processor.
Once combined, halve the dough and shape into two disks. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
Once chilled, roll one ball of dough into a large rectangle. Then slice into smaller rectangles.
Place half of the dough rectangles onto a baking tray, then spoon strawberry preserves in the middle.
Top with another piece of dough and seal with fingers.
Freeze first batch of raw pop tarts for 2 hours, and repeat this process with the remaining ball of dough in the fridge.
After the strawberry pop tarts have chilled in the freezer, bake until golden brown.
Once the pop tarts are cool, top with vanilla icing and sprinkles.

Can I Use Another Flavor of Jam in These Pop-Tarts?

Yes, you can use any flavor of jam or preserves you'd like. The vanilla icing and pop tart dough pairs well with any fruit flavor!

Can I Make the Dough Without a Food Processor?

Yes, the pop tart dough is essentially a pie dough recipe. If you don't have a food processor, I recommend using a pastry cutter or the back of a fork the combine the butter and flour mixture.

Can I Freeze These Pop-Tarts?

Yes, these easy pop tarts freeze well. Let them cool completely before placing them in a freezer bag. When you're ready to enjoy the frozen pop tarts simply reheat them in a toaster.

Tips for the Best Pop-Tarts

You need to seal the edges of the homemade pop tarts well, otherwise the filling will leak out. I used my fingers to seal the pop tarts, but you may need to use the back of a fork to properly seal the edges.
These pop tarts will keep for a few days, but they're best fresh since the dough becomes soggy over time.
Some of the strawberry filling may leak out while baking. Just scrape it off before serving!

More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love:

Homemade Pop Tarts

These homemade pop tarts are a thousand times better than those cardboard like ones you'll find in a box! They're buttery and flakey, filled with flavorful jam and finished with a sweet and simple icing.

2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (, plus more for rolling)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (, cold and diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
4 - 5 Tbsp ice water
3/4 cup strawberry preserves (, divided (or other preserve of choice))

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp half and half (, plus more as needed)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pop-Tart:

In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt and granulated sugar. Add butter and pulse mixture until resembles coarse meal (it won't really come together in pieces much at this point, so don't over-process, just pulse until butter is no longer in large pieces). Add 4 Tbsp water and pulse several times, if it doesn't come together in clumps add remaining 1 Tbsp water. Drop mixture onto a clean surface, gather dough into a ball then divide into two portions. Shape each portion into about a 5-inch disk. Cover each with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time (keep other in fridge to chill), roll dough out onto a floured surface to about 13 by 11-inch rectangle (when edges start to crack a little when rolling, seal them and continue rolling), then trim edges to get a 12 by 10-inch rectangle (to even the edges). Then cut into eight 5 by 3-inch rectangles (cut in half through the longness then three cuts through the opposite).
Arrange 4 of the rectangles, spaced evenly apart on prepared baking sheet. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp of jam evenly down the center of each rectangle, leaving about a 3/4-inch rim on all sides uncoated. Top each with another rectangle, then seal edges with your fingertips, then reseal with a fork. Poke the top center of each tart about 4 times with a toothpick. Cover and transfer to freezer to chill at least 2 hours or up to one week. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough.
Position one oven rack near top third of the oven and a second oven rack near bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake frozen tarts until golden, rotating racks once halfway through baking, about 25 - 30 minutes (some of the preserves may leak out, which is fine, just peel it off once it cools). Allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing:

In a mixing bowl whisk together all icing ingredients well then add more half and half about 1/2 tsp at a time to reach desired consistency. Spread over tops of cooled pop tarts, leaving a small rim uncoated around all sides. Sprinkle tops with sprinkles if desired and allow glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

You need to seal the edges of the homemade pop tarts well, otherwise the filling will leak out. I used my fingers to seal the pop tarts, but you may need to use the back of a fork to properly seal the edges.
Recipe Source: tart portion adapted from Bon Appetit