Sweet Heart Tarts

Valentine's Day didn't exactly happen the way it should have this year. A series of events pushed everything to the back burner this year and what should have been a day filled with love and hearts and assorted pink things turned out to be just another day.

Normally I'd be ok with that, but this week if something could go wrong, it has. And it's gone wrong more than once. And my mood has more than been effected. But that's a post for another day.

I've never needed special a day to show my husband how much I love him, just like he's never needed a certain day to show me the same. We're in love and have committed our lived together. So yeah, the ring on my finger is more than enough. (But being the awesome husband that he is, he bought me an incredible present anyways)

My kids on the other hand, well they should have the special-ness of the day. They deserve the love and the hearts, and think pink. And because I'm the type of mom who likes to indulge them (ok, any myself too).

And even though, thanks in part to unforeseen circumstance, we celebrated two days late, what better way to indulge than with homemade black cherry heart shaped pop tarts.

Recipe adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Ingredients:

for the tarts
Prepared Pie Crusts (Pillsbury makes a great two pack)
Jar of your favorite kind of fruit preserves
1 egg whisked with 1 tsp of water

for the frosting
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tbs water
1 tbs softened butter
2 tbs light corn syrup
red food coloring
nonpareils or colored sugar


Directions:

1. Heat over to 400 degrees F and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper

2. On a floured surface roll out the pie crust. Using a cookie cutter, cut pairs of dough, rolling out any scraps as needed to a 1/8in thickness

3. For each tart spread roughly 2 tsp of preserves out, leaving a 1/2 in. margin on all sides. Brush the egg wash mixture around the edges and place a second cut of dough on top. Using the tines of a fork, press and seal the edges. Then brush more egg wash over the top of the entire pastry.

4. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 or 13 minutes. Let cool completely.

5. Wisk the first four frosting ingredients together into a large bowl, adding more water as needed a tbs at a time until your frosting reaches the correct consistancy and all of the lumps are worked out. Add food coloring and mix. Spoon the frosting into a ziplock baggie and seal. Snip off the corner and squeeze onto the tarts. Top them with nonpariels or colored sugar.

* Makes 8 tarts