Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chai Pop-Tarts

As proud sponsors of the elite runners of the Raleigh Distance Project (RDP), we love seeing how the team uses our handmade nut butters to fuel their workouts and reach their goals. We're not sure how they manage to pack creating recipes into their busy schedules, but we're glad they do and are thrilled to be able to share them with you.

Pop-tarts: A toasted pastry, reminiscent of childhood. What could be better? A homemade one, of course. These are made with grass-fed Kerrygold butter, which is a great natural source of Omega 3 fatty acids. The pastries are filled with real pumpkin and Big Spoon Roasters Chai Spice Nut Butter, the perfect fall combo! We ate these pop-tarts through our training break, but these are also great during high training when we need more calories and fat to keep our bodies healthy and injury-free!

Yield: 6-7 Pop-Tarts

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup pumpkin
• ¼ cup Big Spoon Roasters Chai Spice Nut Butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Flour Blend (plus extra flour for dusting)*
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• ⅔ cup cold grass-fed butter cut into several pieces (unsalted)
• 4-6 tbsp ice cold water
• Egg wash (1 egg with a splash of milk or water)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the filling by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a medium/large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and coconut sugar. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry cutter until combined well (will resemble a coarse, crumbly mixture).
4. Drizzle in 3 tbsp of the ice water and mix well with a wooden spoon until it begins to come together. At this point, you may want to use your hands to mix it. If needed, add the additional 3 tbsp of ice water (1 tbsp at a time). You want the dough to be pliable and not crumbly but it should not be sticky. If it is easily crumbling, it needs more water. If it is too wet you will need to add more flour. Always start will less water and add more as needed.
5. Form the dough into a rectangle and then roll out on a floured surface. You may need to flour your dough every so often as well. Placing a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough while rolling may help prevent cracking. The dough should be about ⅛ of an inch thick.
6. Cut rectangles that are about 3” x 4” - carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Place about 2 tbsp of filling on the center of the dough, leaving room on the edges to close the pop-tarts. Top with the second rectangle of dough and lightly press edges together then use a fork to press together even further around all of the edges. Poke a few holes in the top of each with a fork. You may have to repeat steps 5 and 6 to make all of the pop-tarts.
7. Once all of the pop-tarts are prepared, brush with an egg wash to help them brown (this step is optional).
8. Bake for 20-30 min or until golden brown.