Maple Bourbon Pumpkin Pop Tarts

Since these Rhubarb, Ginger, and Goat Cheese Pop Tarts from the Spring were one of the most popular recipes on the blog ALL YEAR (what?!), I figured a Fall version was in order. Honestly, I get it. Who doesn’t love a pop tart, right?! Especially a homemade one. Serendipitously, this recipe happened to align perfectly with the Virtual Pumpkin Party hosted by Sara of Cake Over Steak which I’m so excited to be a part of this year! I’ve never participated in a group recipe day like this before so I think it should be really fun!

I wanted to make a pumpkin pop tart for sure but I pondered how I could up the ante a little bit. As I was sifting through cookbooks and trolling my pinterest boards, my eyes wandered over to my bar cart and landed on a bottle of bourbon. Bingo. A maple glaze is pretty much a no-brainer with this flavor combination. These are so good, you guys! Flaky, buttery pastry encasing the rich, pumpkin-y spiced filling. You don’t really taste the bourbon but it adds a really delicious depth of flavor to the pumpkin. There’s also a little in the glaze cause why not. And since the glaze is so sweet, the filling is purposefully not and a few flakes of flaky salt on the glaze help to keep the flavors well-balanced. These really are such a fun Fall treat. Hope you enjoy them! And if you make them, please be sure to share using the hashtag #allpurposeflourchild and tag me so I can see!

And don’t forget to check out the hashtag #VirtualPumpkinParty to see all the other fun pumpkin and squash recipes the other amazing bloggers participating are sharing today! Here’s a few I’m really looking forward to making!

Kitchen Konfidence | Pumpkin and Hazelnut Tart with Toasted Marshmallow
27th and Olive | Pumpkin Honey Ale Pie
Tending the Table | Butternut Squash Kitchari
Will Frolic for Food | Savory Pumpkin Bread
Floating Kitchen | Pumpkin Butter Thumbprint Cookies with Whiskey Caramel Sauce Drizzle
Jam Lab | Pumpkin Banana Yogurt Cake with Pecan Brittle Buttercream Frosting
Ful-filled | Pumpkin Spice Ruffled Milk Pie
Wood and Spoon | Pumpkin Pecan Tart with Maple Whipped Cream
Katherine in Brooklyn | Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Hungry Girl por Vida | Pumpkin Ganache Cupcakes
Cloudy Kitchen | Buttermilk Pumpkin Streusel Pie
Cook Til Delicious | Double Pumpkin Sourdough Milk Bread
Short Girl. Tall Order | Stuffed Vegan Pumpkins with Vegan Stuffing
The Little Epicurean | Pumpkin Sticky Buns
A Cookie Named Desire | Pumpkin Creme Brulee

makes 9 pop tarts

crust
2 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 t Himalayan pink salt
1 c plus 2 T unsalted butter, cold and cubed (2 sticks + 2 T)
1 T apple cider vinegar
6-8 T ice water

filling
3/4 c canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg, room temperature
2 T bourbon
1/4 c pure maple syrup
3 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
pinch of Himalayan pink salt

egg wash
1 large egg, room temperature
splash of water

glaze + topping
1 c powdered sugar
2 T maple syrup
1 t bourbon
pinch of Himalayan pink salt
sprinkles of choice (I loved the look of raw turbinado sugar)
flaky sea salt (Jacobsen is my favorite)

make the crust
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the butter with the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or a food processor) until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the vinegar and 6 tablespoons of the ice water and stir until the dough just comes together, adding the additional 2 tablespoons of water if necessary. The humidity of the day will determine how much you need to hydrate the dough. Divide dough in half and pat each into rough square shapes. This will make it easier to roll out into a rectangle later and yield less waste. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least two hours or overnight, ideally.

make the filling
In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, bourbon and maple syrup until smooth. Add in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and whisk again until smooth.

assemble the pop tarts
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Make the egg wash by whisking together the egg and splash of water then set aside as we’ll need it in a moment. Working with only one disk of dough at a time (leave the other in the fridge), roll out onto a lightly floured work surface into a large rectangle about an 1/8th of an inch thick. We want to end up with a 12 x 9 inch rectangle with straight edges so make it just large enough to trim it down to this size. Trim the edges using a ruler or something with a straight edge and a pizza cutter or sharp paring knife. Cut the rectangle into 9 3 x 4 inch rectangles. Transfer the rectangles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. Pop in the freezer while you repeat with the second disc of dough. Pull out the first batch from the freezer and lightly brush the edges with the egg wash then add about a 2 tablespoon dollop of the pumpkin filling in the center of each rectangle. Top with another rectangle and gently press down all around the edges to seal. Crimp the sides with a fork to enclose the tarts. This isn’t a terribly thick filling so if it leaks out the sides just a tad when crimping, that’s ok! Just wipe off the excess. We don’t want to skimp on the filling because that’s where all the flavor is! Then using a fork or toothpick, poke a few holes on the top to allow steam to escape while they bake. Repeat with the rest. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, bourbon, salt, and about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to start. Adjust the consistency by adding more maple syrup, if needed. It should be drizzleable but still fairly thick, like honey. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pop tarts and top with a sprinkling of raw sugar and flaky salt or whatever sprinkles your heart desires. Enjoy!

* Crust recipe by Yossy Arefi from Sweeter Off The Vine