I have just a short word of encouragement for you this morning that I’ll break down into a few short sentences: the words you say to people matter. The things you speak over them can be transformative. The love and encouragement you give away to others can change the way they see themselves forever. If I’ve gone in way too deep for a Wednesday morning, let me back up a minute and tell you what precipitated all of this, and then we’ll dive into these rhubarb pop-tarts.

The other day, my my parents moved out of their home of 21 years and they sent their movers to drop a few boxes and pieces of furniture that were mine. I started sorting through the boxes and found stacks of old artwork and drawings as well as piles of old letters from my elementary years. Birthday cards, Valentines, and even a few pen pal letters were strewn about my living room as I laughed and teared up at all the love people had given me over the years.

One letter in particular was really meaningful to me. I found an old hardcover journal with a hand-written inscription and a card from my third grade teacher, Mrs. Graham. In the letter, she congratulated me on the outcomes of a national writing test that I took and told me how proud she was of my accomplishments. The journal, per her letter, was for me to continue writing in, and she encouraged me to keep practicing and refining those skills as I continued on in school. “You are a terrific writer, Katie! Never stop!”

I don’t recall much about my first, fourth, or fifth grade teachers. My second grade teacher had a really long last name that I still can’t spell and a face that turned tomato red when she was angry with us. But I never forgot Mrs. Graham or that she believed in me. In moments when I’ve been scared to pursue a career as an author, as silly as it sounds, I’ve remembered her words and that there was someone out there who thought I had something good to say. Her words made me brave and honest and willing to share.

I think about this a lot when I speak with my own children. We spend a lot of time calling out talents and characteristics in them both because I want them to feel empowered to let those parts of themselves shine. I want my daughter to be eager to befriend a new kid at school because she knows how friendly and kind she is to others. I want my son to be joyful and sprinkle the world with his silliness and laughter because he knows how clever he is. A new goal of mine is to let my mother, sister, friends, husband, hell,  EVERYONE, know what goodness and beauty they bring to my life so they’ll continue to share it with me and the other people they rub shoulders with on a daily basis. The words we share with others can empower them to rise up and be better versions of themselves. So let’s share freely.

These rhubarb pop-tarts are another lovely little rendition of one of my favorite treats. I adore homemade pie crust and filling bite-sized bits of it with jam and icing has got to be one of the most fun ways to snack. These rhubarb pop-tarts are nothing more than flaky crust, a quick homemade rhubarb jam, and a sweet and floral honey icing, and they make for a delicious snack, breakfast or dessert.

To make your own rhubarb pop-tarts, we start with the crust. Flour, sugar, and salt are combined before fat is cut into the dry ingredients. We bring the dough together with ice water and allow it to chill until firm. You can do this step in advance if you’d prefer, and homemade pie. crust also freezes nicely when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Next, we make the jam. Fresh or frozen rhubarb can be cooked down with sugar until it is thick, flavorful, and bubbly. Allow it to cool completely before filling your tarts.

To shape the rhubarb pop-tarts, simply roll out the dough super thin and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut out small squares. You can also use a small round cookie cutter if you’d prefer, but here, I’ve used a clean plastic sewing ruler like this one to make sure each of my squares are the same size. Trim out the squares, spoon jam on half of them, and then crimp a second square on top to seal in the filling. Allow the tarts to chill in the freezer prior to baking.

After baking the rhubarb pop-tarts, the honey icing comes together quickly and adorns these simple treats. They taste best within two days, but you can make and freeze unglazed tarts for a few weeks and re-flake in the oven. Feel free to batch the recipe to serve a crowd, or keep the prep short and sweet to make just a few. These hand pies are a great way to use up the leftover rhubarb you may have floating around your fridge and freezer, so snap to it and get to baking! The season won’t last forever! Happy baking to you all and thanks for following along! Have a great week!

If you like these rhubarb pop-tarts you should check out:

Blueberry Lemon Pop-Tarts

Raspberry Champagne Pop-Tarts 

Strawberry Fig Pop-Tarts

Cranberry Pear Pop-Tarts

 

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