So the neighborhood of my youth was dominated by two epic debates:
1. Who had the best sticker collection; and
2. Pop Tarts vs. Toaster Strudels.
After Luna down the street got her mom to invest in a heavy set of puffys that were also scratch and sniffs, I was straight up locked out of the sticker race. I took my glow in the darks, glitters and googly eyes home and packed it in.
But I held my head high because I always knew that I was on the side of all that is good and right in the universe when it came to breakfast pastries.
Let me break it down for you. First of all, Toaster Strudels are not portable. Take this exchange that actually occurred at a bus stop somewhere in Virginia sometime in the 1980s:
M.: Hey there. I love your New Kids On The Block lunchbox.
Girl With A Toaster Strudel: Thanks! I would totally open it up and show you the coordinating thermos that’s inside, but I’ve got this Toaster Strudel in one hand and a tube of glaze in the other. I need to apply my glaze as I eat my breakfast pastry. This just isn’t working.
M.: Bet you wished you had a Pop-Tart right now instead of that stoopit Toaster Strudel.
Girl With A Toaster Strudel: Sing it sister.
Here’s the next issue with Toaster Strudels: they take way too much effort to prepare.
Seriously, your jamming for the bus stop, you’ve GOT to get the seat next to that boy that you’re seriously crushing on, you can’t forget your lunchbox, homework or leg warmers, and you’re expected to preheat an oven, stand in front of it while your Toaster Strudel bakes, let your Toaster Strudel cool enough to be edible, and then chow down?
I think not.
You can’t even accidentally leave a box of Toaster Strudels out on the counter overnight when you need a snack after you sneak downstairs to call Kiss 109.2 FM and request Aerosmith’s Angel for Boy That You’re Seriously Crushing On.
They’ll be ruined.
Just like your hopes and dreams of Boy That You’re Seriously Crushing On hearing your request, knowing it was sent from you and falling immediately in love.
Broken dreams, broken breakfast. That’s a bad day.
Finally, we’re down to the flavor facet of this timeless rivalry.
In one corner you have the likes of Apple, Wildberries, Cherry and Danish Style Cream Cheese.
In the other corner you have Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, S’Mores, Wild Grape and Confetti Cake.
Really?
While I recognize that not all of these flavors were available at the time that I was forming my undying commitment to Pop-Tarts, they are clearly indicative of some serious breakfast pastry innovation that I’m sure I sensed in the Pop-Tarts of yore.
So, you know, are you sold?
You must be.
If you’re still reaching for a Toster Strudel then I’m concerned for our future together.
I’ll make one last-ditch effort to get you to remove your Team Toaster Strudel jersey and don the glorious, glittery, glowing robes of Team Pop-Tart: try one of my Sweet Avocado Pop Tarts.
I crafted a flaky crust, mashed and sweetened fresh, rich Chilean Hass avocadoes, and glazed the top of eat pocket of heaven with a sweet lime frosting that would make Mr. Pop-Tart himself proud.
Sorry Mr. Toaster Strudel. It’s always been Pop-Tart.
Sweet Avocado Pop Tarts With Lime Glaze
For the pastry:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
1/4 c. white sugar, granulated
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. water, cold
1/2 tsp. salt
For the filling:
2 c. chopped avocados (This is roughly 2 ripe Chilean Hass avocados. You can use any varietal of avocado that you prefer, as long as they are ripe.)
3 tbsp. lime juice, fresh
1/2 c white sugar, granulated
For the glaze:
3 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c. lime juice, fresh
To prepare the pastry, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times just to blend. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits of butter sprinkled throughout. With the processor running, add the water through the feed tube and continue to process just until a solid ball of dough forms.
Remove the dough to a floured board and knead just a few times into a smooth, uniform ball. Separate the dough into two evenly sized balls, wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
When your dough has chilled and you are ready to prepare and assemble your tarts, preheat the oven to 350° and remove your dough to a well-floured work surface. Roll each piece of dough out into a rectangle that roughly measures 8″ x 12″ with an approximate thickness of 1/4″. Using a straight edge and a sharp knife or pastry cutter, trim out 16 rectangles that measure 3″ x 4″. You may need to assemble your scraps and re-roll your dough a few times to get even, accurate pieces – don’t sweat it. But if you do this more than a few times you should stick your cut pieces of dough back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to be sure that they’re chilled through once you assemble and bake the tarts.
Lay your pieces onto parchment lined baking sheets and set the sheets aside.
In a large bowl, place the pieces of peeled, pitted and chopped avocado. Add the lime juice and sugar and mash to a chunky consistency. Using a tablespoon measure, spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the avocado mixture onto 8 pieces of cut pastry (I baked the tarts in sets of four, so you should have two trays of tarts to bake.). Carefully drape a second rectangle of pastry on top of each mound of avocado and use a fork to press the top and bottom of each tart together down all four sides. Again using your fork, gently pierce the top of each tart several times to allow steam to vent. Bake your tarts for 28-32 minutes or until the edges are just turning a golden shade of brown. Remove the baked tarts to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare your glaze by whisking the confectioners’ sugar and lime juice together in a large bowl.
Finish your tarts by generously glazing the top of each with the lime glaze.
YIELD: 8 large pop tarts
Hallo Meagan!
I stumbled across your blog a short while ago, and I am loving what I find. Having grown up in California, spent several formative years in Arizona, and having a weird habit of attracting friends from New Mexico, my love for Southwestern cuisine is serious. You’re one of the only bloggers who expresses its gloriousness, and I love your new takes on old classics. Avocado as a sweet? In a Pop Tart? Win!
Wow, what a lovely comment, Jourdie! I’m blushing! Thanks so much for stopping by – I’ll keep the southwestern deliciousness coming. Thanks again for reading!
Aww, my pleasure! I love discovering new cooking inspirations and the wonderful people behind them. Funny confession – though I’ve been an avid blog reader for a couple years, I’ve never subscribed to any, partly because I like the fun of checking back to see if something new has appeared, but also because I sometimes get overwhelmed by all the e-mails, which judging from your avo blondies post, you can relate to! But since I’ve begun blogging myself, I realize how important it is to have that support from your readers, and I’m making it my (late or lunar) new year’s resolution to subscribe to the bloggers I want to support. You’ll be my second subscription…woohoo!
I’m chilean, and i live in Chile. I eat lots of Hass Avocado (really great) but I had never taste something like this. So i should take note of your recipe.
You are entirely brilliant – and so are these Pop Tarts. I featured you and this recipe on Momcaster: http://momcaster.com/2012/04/26/7-unique-desserts
Love it!
Omg I’m going to have to make these tonight. I’m too tempted. I love that there are avocados in the pop tarts. truly ingenious.
I didn’t have any avacados on hand, so I used lemon curd instead, and it was absolutely delicious!
A friend and I made these today, and they were *fantastic*. The dough was flaky and delicious, the filling was flavorful and sweet, and the glaze, well… we’re still licking our fingers. Thanks for the recipe!
Fantastic, Galia! They’re a great treat to make this time of year when avocados are at their best! Thanks for reading!
Doesn’t the avocado turn brown when heated? Or how about the next day? Just wondered.
Hi Bonnie! Whenever I work with avocado -cold or hot, sweet or savory- I always immediately toss it with fresh lime juice as soon as I unpeel it. I have found that this prevents the fruit flesh from turning brown. So even after the avocado is heated in these pastries, the filling actually did not turn. I did store the finished pop tarts in the refrigerator after a day, though, just to be safe. I hope this helps!
I am so jealous! Grew up without the breakfast gourmet foods like PopTarts or even T. Strudel, it was raisin bran, rice krispies, etc. at my house, and on weekends pancakes and/or french toast. Of course we had four kids, so we would have had to order the tarts by the case to have enough for the week. Congrats on this great idea and recipe though, my kids will love these, even as young children they ate weird stuff like avocado, artichokes and sushi (what kid voluntarily EATS those things?) so these will be right up their alley!
um this looks like just about the best thing i’ve ever seen and i totes want one for breakfast tomorrow! awesome blog!
I made them today! I took the lazy bakers’ route and used pre-made pie dough (Immaculate Baking Co. makes a nice one). I did an egg white wash on the crust and man, is it ever lovely! They are really good, I don’t know that I would make them on a regular basis, but they’re a fun novelty. (The kids weren’t so jazzed about them, but my grown-up friends all liked them!)
Yay, Carly! I’m so glad that they were a hit! What a great idea to use pre-made pie dough! And it doesn’t surprise me about the kids: I was terrified of avocados as a child! It was only until I was an adult that my palate grew to adore them.
I wasn’t allowed to have either growing up (but I must admit, I was always realllly tempted by the toaster strudels). That being said…great post. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around avocado as a pop tart filling. Its just so unexpected, but yet it looks so good!
i’m adding this to my blog roundup for chow bella. so so smart! it should be up on thursday sometime
Thank you so much, Jennifer!!
Where I just read about and has me going to get some avocados soon.
What a fantastic pop tart flavor idea.Brilliant!
I’m a Pop Tart girl all the way. Always have been, always will be. End of story.
Oh. And…I’m pretty sure we grew up in the same neighborhood. Just sayin’.
Love it.
Lovely creation!
Wow…I have to try these. Toaster Strudel always reminded me of cheap fish sticks.
What an interesting idea! Very neat. Love the photos – gorgeous!!
I’m with you sister! I was a major Pop-Tart fan in school, but alas had to give them up because they really weren’t very healthy. But now…Avocado Pop-Tarts with Lime Frosting? The Pop-Tart is back!
p.s. i made avocado frosting once. not to put on anything, just to try it. it was awesome. I ended up dipping ginger cookies in it. mmmm
this looks absofreakinlutely deeeelish!!! mmmmmmm
You are so creative! Love this recipe and congrats on the top-spot on the TOP 9!!
Your stories make me smile.
I’ve always been team Toaster Strudel, but you may have just made me a convert.
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com
WOW! These look great! I would love your recipe variation ideas too:) And oh how I can relate to the epic battles over superior sticker collections!
From scratch? That’s healthier than the store bought kind and I’m sure that these taste better, too ^^
These look very good, and the story you told was just darling!
-http://cupcakes-music-fashion.blogspot.com
Authentically from scratch. I’ll bet they’re so much tastier than the damned Pop Tarts I had this morning!
I’m totally sold!! They look fantastic! I love avocado anything, never though of having it in pop tart form!
Great post! I recently made pop tarts, but I was a little bummed they turned out more like a toaster strudel. Oh well… And I love the avacado and lime combo! Very original!
These look so good. You are brilliant!!
This is awesome! I love it!! And yes- those were the neighborhood discussions! lol
Awesome post…I’m still chortling.
Avocado is such a neat flavor for a pop tart.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m in the Toaster Strudel camp. They were just tastier to me – and worth the effort. But I’m sure if I’d had access to Pop Tarts like these… I would be singing a different song =)
Congrats on the Top 9! What a great combination. I am a fan of all the new flavors of poptarts, that weren’t around back in the day. The Ice Cream Sundae one is amazing – you should make that one at home!
Ooooh – Ice Cream Sundae pop-tarts are so calling my name.
I was raised a poptart chick, but have raised my girl as a pancake gal. We had poptarts one morning, but she thought they were weird. Now I’m totally craving them so I’ll have to try the recipe!
“Sing it sister” I was laughing the whole time reading this! Congrats on Top9, and just so you know, I’m Team PopTart all the way.
I love the idea of using avocado inside. These look sooo good. You have inspired me to make my own pastry dough. (eeek!)
This is so awesome. Maybe my favorite foodbuzz top 9 of the year.
and I agree, toaster strudels are tasty as anything – but poptarts are the classic breakfast on the go.
Hilarious, Meagan. Who hasn’t phoned Kiss 109.2FM (or equivalent) to make such a request. If you’d asked Crush Boy around for pop tarts you might have been more successful
Love the unusual filling in these. Congrats on the Top 9!
too bad these look nothing like pop tarts, and everything like toaster strudels. dead on balls. which is just fine, because
TOASTER STRUDELS RULE
I would have never thought beyond salads and dips from my Avocados
This is just marvelous..love those plump bakes.
These sound super interesting. Not a fan of warm avocado for some reason, I find it tastes weird. But I looove the way these look! Will try with different filling.
Meagan you had me cracking up during this whole post! I so had a New Kids on the Block lunchbox! However, the parent’s didn’t really let me have pop tarts growing up
I’m sure if these were an option back then maybe. They look delicious!
Love this post… I felt like I was right back at the bus stop too. Im totally curious as to what avocados taste like in a poptart now. Awesome, as usual!
This is FANTASTIC! I had to come over and check this out at soon as I saw the title. I was like “what is going on at that blog?!” This is so creative. Nicely done!
I think those pop tarts are really interesting! There’s nothing better than a good homemade pastry!
You are so funny and bring back such memories! I’m afraid, however, I can’t join Team Pop Tart – I am solidly in the camp of Team Scarletta! And here’s a cheer for avocado – genius creation!
oh.my.glorious.good.Lord. I am so making these. Avocado and lime? You’re a genius.
I really enjoy reading your posts….beautiful recipes, but always a GREAT read! I really, REALLY like avocado and no guacamole is complete without lime….so I’d try these (who am I kidding? I probably would love them).
Just so you know – in my hood – googlie eyed stickers ALWAYS beat puffy scratch-n-sniff stickers!
This looks so much better than the chocolate Pop-Tarts my aunt used to sneak me! Avocado is almost an addiction for me… I can’t imagine not eating all of these in one sitting.
I was never allowed to eat Pop Tarts as a child (I was stuck eating plain Cheerios, no sugar). But I’d always binge on Pop Tarts when I went to my friends’ houses. It’s about time I learn how to make my own!
great post! This might actually get me to like avocados
super cool!
Love this post! I grew up eating avocado with sugar, so smart to put it in a pop tart. I had a huge sticker collection, someone had gifted me a sticker of the month membership for a year- best gift ever for a little girl to get!! My favorite stickers were the gushy ones with the multi colored oil in them- do you remember those?
O. M. G. I can’t BELIEVE that I forgot about those!! Who knows what that liquid was – it could have been crude oil for all I cared – they were ABSOLUTELY my favorite as well!!!
What a fabulous idea! And they are pretty too.
I am so intrigued! I love avocado and would love to try it in a dessert like this.
Pop Tarts v’s Toaster Strudel is a fight I have no clue about. I was force fed Irish Oatmeal for my entire childhood LOL
Now your pastry looks truly amazing and I’ love to try it
Wow!!! These look incredible!!! What a fabulous idea! And you are so right about the pop tarts vs toaster strudel!