Deck The Halls Pop-Tart Ornaments

By Jane SweeneyPublished: Dec 1, 2024

Be the first to review!

PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Yields:

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Jump to recipe

preview for Deck The Halls Pop-Tart Ornaments Are Tree-Topper Showstoppers

With ready-made pie crust, sweet fruit preserves, and a little creativity, you can create charming, edible Pop-Tart ornaments that are as fun to make as they are delicious. These ornaments are perfect for gifting, hanging on the tree, or simply indulging in while rewatching Elf for the 100th time. The flaky pie crust pairs beautifully with rich cherry preserves (hint: Nutella also works great here), and a little icing adds a festive finishing touch. They're an adorable holiday decoration, cheery food gift, or too-cute Christmas treat. What can't Pop-Tarts do?

Recipe Tips:

Using a rectangular cookie cutter, an index card, or creating your own 5" x 3" cardboard cutout will help make even shapes.
Squeeze the edges of dough rectangles tightly together to prevent filling from seeping out.
You want the icing to be fairly thick so it stays in place. While not necessary, adding a bit of corn syrup helps produce a firmer, shinier icing. Let the white icing set for a few minutes before adding decorative details.

Storage:
Pop-Tarts can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated until ready to bake (up to 1 day). Baked Pop-Tarts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Tried these? We’d love to hear how it went in the comments below!

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

1
(14-oz.) box pie dough (for 2 crusts)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1
large egg
8
to 9 Tbsp. cherry or other fruit preserves, or Nutella
1 cup
(115 g.) (or more) confectioners' sugar
1 tsp.
corn syrup (optional)
Kosher salt
Colored gel icing, for decorating

Equipment Needed

Ribbon or string, for hanging (optional)

Directions

1. Step 1Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°. Let dough sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Step 2On a lightly floured surface, roll out one round of dough to a rectangle (it’s okay if it’s not perfect), dusting with flour as needed, until 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Using a cookie cutter, pastry wheel, or sharp knife, cut dough into 5" x 3" rectangles. Reroll any scraps to make a total of 6 rectangles. Repeat with second round for 12 total. Arrange rectangles on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
3. Step 3In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tsp. water. Lightly brush border of each rectangle with egg wash. Dollop about 1 heaping Tbsp. fruit preserve in the center of  6 rectangles. (Do not overfill.) Top with 6 remaining rectangles. Pinch edges together to tightly seal, then crimp edges with a fork. Lightly brush tops with more egg wash.
4. Step 4Bake pastries until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. If you’ll be using ribbon, make a hole 1/2" from the top with the end of a chopstick or thin skewer. Transfer pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
5. Step 5In a medium bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup (if using), a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. water, adding more water 1/2 tsp. at a time if needed, until smooth. (If glaze is too runny, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.)
6. Step 6Spread about 2 Tbsp. icing over pastries. Using colored icing, add decorative lights or other festive details. Let sit at least 15 minutes before tying with string (if using).