Chef notes

The Gilmore girls would be obsessed with this recipe. We all know pop tarts are at the top of their food pyramid (after coffee), so I know they would love a large-format version. What could be better than a pop tart that you can slice up and share? It is perfect for potlucks, dinner parties or just for surprising friends. It is easy as pie to prepare, and much like a slab pie that’s baked in a rimmed baking sheet, this has an ideal crust to filling ratio. After all, the crust is always the best part (and no, that’s not up for debate)!

Start off by cooking a speedy blueberry jam (or pop open a jar of your favorite from the store). And if blueberries aren’t your jam (pun intended), use another type of fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches or nectarines, all of which have similar pectin levels and will thicken in the same amount of time.

While the jam cools, make the pie dough. Doing it by hand is easy, but if you have a food processor, you can pulse the mixture into a dough, all without getting your hands dirty. Either way, make sure you don’t over-process the butter – the mixture should look pretty ragged, with most of the pats of butter the size of peas (no smaller). While you are adding water, check periodically to see if you can squish some of the mixture together between your fingertips. By not over-hydrating the dough, it will always turn out tender and flaky.

Finish it all off with even more blueberry flavor – that means a glaze made with freeze-dried blueberries and powdered sugar. Spoon it over the top and add some extra flair with color-coordinated sprinkles.

Technique Tip: Place a small plate in the freezer before you start making the jam. If you’re unsure about whether or not it has thickened enough, plop a small dollop of jam onto the plate and place it back in the freezer for a minute. If the jam thickens up and becomes jelly-like in the freezer, it’s ready to go! If not, boil for another minute or so.

Swap Option: Other fruits with similar pectin levels (like some stone fruits and other berries) can be used instead of blueberries. Use the freeze-dried fruit equivalent in the glaze as well.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt

1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
5-6 tablespoons ice water

Jam

1 pound fresh blueberries
1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Assembly

all-purpose flour, for rolling

1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk, plus more as needed
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely ground freeze-dried blueberries
3-4 tablespoons sprinkles

Fulfilled by

Preparation

Make the dough
1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Toss butter into dry mixture to evenly coat, then press between your fingers to create pea-size pieces of butter.

Slowly drizzle water over dough while stirring with a fork, just until mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers.

Divide dough in half and shape each into a flat rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Make the jam
Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often and mashing some of the berries with a fork or potato masher, until jam thickens (similar to the consistency of honey), 8 to 10 minutes.

Spoon jam into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 4 hours.

To assemble
1. Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into 12-by-9-inch rectangles.

Place one sheet of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread blueberry jam evenly over dough, leaving a ½-inch border; brush border with egg wash. Top with the second sheet of dough, pressing edges to seal. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush top of dough all over with more egg wash, then prick the top all over with the fork. Bake until golden brown and bubbling in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the glaze
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice and freeze-dried berries until smooth and pourable (add more milk or water as needed to thin out).

Spoon glaze over the top of the pastry, then top with sprinkles. Let glaze set for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.