I have a serious question.
Did you grow up on Pop-Tarts and toaster strudels—the kind wrapped in foil with frosting, sprinkles and sugary filling? Thank you, 90s.
I did, though I treated them mostly as snacks rather than breakfast. Before school I was loyal to an English muffin with peanut butter and honey, sometimes with banana.
I still love that. How boring.
If necessary, a cinnamon brown sugar Pop-Tart would do. I vividly remember when s’mores Pop-Tarts arrived—instant obsession. The problem with those tarts, though, was I never wanted the unfrosted crust, so I’d slice off the frosted piece and eat that. It never tasted as good as I imagined.
This is slightly embarrassing: during pregnancy I didn’t have major cravings, but one day I wandered through the grocery aisle and a Pop-Tart suddenly sounded irresistible. I bought a box, toasted it at home—brown sugar cinnamon, of course—and it was… meh. Actually kind of gross. Childhood nostalgia wasn’t hiding in that sugary center.
I wasn’t much of a toaster strudel person either—I didn’t love the icing on top—but I adored the flaky pastry. The flakiness was everything.
These little pastry pockets I made are more like a toaster strudel than a Pop-Tart, but they look similar—think Pop-Tart meets toaster strudel. Since I’m taking a temporary break from pie crust, puff pastry is my go-to. Last year I fell hard for puff pastry for all sorts of tarts and savory bites. It’s buttery, flaky and fast when you use the store-bought sheets.
I made two versions. The first is smoked cheddar with tart cherry jam. I used a super-sharp white cheddar—use more than you think you need; extra cheese is never regretted. I spread small spoonfuls of tart cherry jam on the puff pastry, layered cheese on top, covered with another sheet of pastry, cut into squares, crimped with a fork, brushed with egg wash, sprinkled salt and pepper, baked and ate.
It’s embarrassingly easy and utterly delicious: sweet, tart, smoky and savory in a tiny, flaky pocket.
The other version I made is equally irresistible—think summer, toasted, gooey chocolate. Predictable? Sure, but perfect. Both variations are ideal as an appetizer, snack or quick breakfast and practically demand that you hoard the whole batch.
Smoked Cheddar and Cherry Jam Pastry Pop Tarts
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Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- 1/2 cup tart cherry jam
- 16 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, sliced
- 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper, for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
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Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface and set one sheet of puff pastry on top. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of cherry jam in nine spots on the pastry, like a tic-tac-toe grid. Top each jam spot with a slice of smoked cheddar. Cover with the second sheet of puff pastry and use a knife or pizza cutter to cut around the cheese and jam into nine squares. Press the edges together with a fork to seal.
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Brush the tops with the beaten egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving. These are best enjoyed shortly after baking.
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I appreciate you so much!
I totally want to use one of these as a raft in a river of melty cheddar.