Sweet Kitchen Cravings

0 Pop-Tart Pastry: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the butter chunks are pea-sized.
1 With the processor running, slowly start to drizzle in the cold water. Only use as much as needed for a dough to form, which may be less than the full ¼ cup. As soon as the dough comes together and forms a ball, do not add any more water. The dough should be soft but not too sticky. Flatten the dough into a rectangle and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
2 Apple Cinnamon Filling: Chop the apples into small cubes. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water. Once the apples are soft and the mixture is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir while the mixture thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3 Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Set aside.
4 Assembly: Once the pastry dough is chilled, remove from the fridge and divide it in half. Wrap one half back in the plastic and place it back in the fridge while you roll out the other half. Place the dough on a generously floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, measuring roughly 11” x 13”. Using a ruler and a pizza cutter or sharp knife, trim the edges to create a rectangle that measures exactly 10” x 12”. Then cut that piece into eight equal pieces, each measuring 3” x 5”.
5 Place the rectangles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. They won’t spread much in the oven so these can be fairly close together. Set aside and repeat the same process with the other half of the dough to create eight more rectangles.
6 Scoop about 1½ Tablespoons of the cream cheese filling in the center of half of the rectangles and spread it out slightly, leaving at least a ¼” border on all sides. Add about 2 Tablespoons of the apple filling on top of the cream cheese. Lightly brush the edges of the rectangles with egg wash. Place the remaining rectangles over the filling and press the edges of the two rectangles together with your fingers. Using a fork, press down on the edges to seal the dough. Refrigerate the pop-tarts for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7 Once the pop-tarts are chilled, use a fork to poke 3 sets of holes in the dough to allow steam to escape. Brush the entire top of each pop-tart with egg wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pop-tarts are puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
8 Cinnamon Maple Glaze: While the pop-tarts cool, make the glaze. Whisk together the melted butter, powdered sugar, maple flavoring, cinnamon, and 1 Tablespoon of milk. Add more milk as needed until you have a spreadable consistency. The glaze will thicken as it sits so you may need to add more right before spreading it on the pop-tarts.
9 Spoon the glaze onto the top of the pop-tarts, using the back of a spoon to spread it out. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!