Strawberry Nutella Pop-tarts/Pastries

Mmm, Strawberry Nutella Pop-tarts!  Yes, this was actually a Valentine's Day treat a couple of weeks ago, so I am very behind in posting.  I apologize.  I had a crashed computer and sick baby to deal with in the mean time and very little free time!  But I do think you can give your family a little extra loving at breakfast pretty much any time, don't you?  Plus, this recipe is a great starter to get your mind going with other options...  While I agree that strawberry and Nutella are a beautiful combination, you could really put just about anything in these little pastry pockets and have bliss.  And they would certainly be better (and better for you) than the pop-tarts you get in the store!  Anyway, I found this idea when browsing Pinterest one day (woah, can that take me in crazy creative ventures) and decided to do it for the clever girl's breakfast.  It is totally simple - you can do it, too!

before baking!

Strawberry Nutella Pop-Tarts/Pastries
adapted from The Novice Chef
makes 6 -8 pop-tarts

Ingredients:
1/2 package of refrigerated pie dough (one crust)

Nutella
Strawberry Preserves
a few large strawberries
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
coarse sugar (or use granulated)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the egg yolk and water in a small bowl and set aside.  Roll out the pie crust until it is pretty thin.  Cut into rectangles that are approximately 2 1/2-inches by 3 1/2 inches.  You can re-roll the dough as needed.  The thickness of the dough and dimensions of your rectangles dictate how many pop-tarts you will make.

Slice the strawberries lengthwise and shape into hearts.  Place one in the center of half of the rectangles and cut around them with a sharp knife.  On the other rectangle halves, spread about 1 teaspoon Nutella, leaving a half-inch border all the way around.  Spread about 1 teaspoon strawberry preserves on top of the Nutella and place a strawberry heart in the center.  Place a rectangle of pie dough with a carved-out heart on the top of it all.

Seal the edges by pressing with the prongs of a fork.  Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are golden.  Transfer to a rack to cool.  Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes if you plan to eat them right away!
Printable Recipe

We actually called these Strawberry Nutella Pastries, as the clever girl has never had a pop-tart thus that name was meaningless to her.  But just think of the options here!   Raspberry jam, lemon curd and blueberry, brown sugar and cinnamon...  It is endless, really.  And you could totally put some sort of icing glaze on the top with a little powdered sugar and milk if you want...  And you could use rainbow sprinkles instead of coarse sugar...