brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars;
These brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars will remind you of that classic brown sugar cinnamon pop tart in a yummy scrumptious bar form. It’s still a dry pastry, but less cardboard and more delicious shortbread. These brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars have a thick cinnamon filling layer much more satisfying than the thin brown sugar filling of what comes in a box. But the best part in my opinion? Homemade cinnamon icing made with cream and sugar and of course lo-ots of cinnamon.
Start with all the classic ingredients for shortbread. Butter (duh) and sugar and flour then flavorings, leavening, and some binding agents. When it comes to shortbread, you don’t want to overmix the ingredients, and specifically the flour. Overmixing can activate the gluten in the flour and make it tough. And you want these brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars to be tender and light with cinnamon yumminess sandwiched in the middle.
Make sure not to over-mix your shortbread dough.
Secret to success
Make sure to separate out half your dough so you have two layers. If you want to be scientific about it, use a scale. That way you’ll know you really have half on the bottom and half on the top. Of course, I’m much too lazy for that and normally just wing it. Seems to turn out ok for me!
The cinnamon layer is a classic cinnamon roll filling: butter, sugar, cinnamon. Did I mention there’s lots of sugar in these brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars? Make sure your butter is room temperature and easily spreadable. That will make it easier to mix together the cinnamon paste and spread it evenly across your bars.
Once you’re ready for your second layer of shortbread, grab it and roll it out. It’s much easier to roll out to a roughly even layer on a countertop rather than smoosh it down across an already smooshy base. I prefer to roll my dough out to roughly 3/4 of the 8”x8” pan and then push it into the corners once I lay it on top.
It’s easy to just toss in the first layer of dough and press it to shape, but you’ll save yourself headache if you roll out the top layer of dough.
Secret to success
Then my favorite part of these brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars: the icing. Not gonna lie, some of the icing might have not made it onto the bars…oops my fingers slipped in. Oh nooooo, whoops it happened again. This icing is to die for. It’s such a simple icing, but the heavy cream makes a difference, keeping it thick and creamy but also letting it harden with a crust to capture that pop tart essence.
Make sure the bars are completely cooled before icing, and allow the icing to set for that classic poptart crusty icing.
secret to success
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other delicious cinnamon treats! There’s so many to choose from~
- Sometimes you want classic flavors but in a new and delicious form. Well this snickerdoodle pie is always a hit and adds delicious pie crust. What’s not to love!
- This overnight sweet cinnamon foccacia is so easy to set and forget and still get a freshly-baked sweet breakfast treat the next morning.
- My favorite classic cinnamon buns are always a hit, but if you’re looking for something new, try these s’mores cinnamon rolls!
- Can’t get enough cinnamon and chocolate? Make your own easy cinnamon bun truffles, perfect for gifting or snacking.
- Cinnamon swirl snickerdoodles are my favorite cinnamon cookies, but if you like a classic and easy snickerdoodle, check out this recipe.
brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bars;
Ingredients
shortbread bars;
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temp
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp of salt
- 2½ cups flour
brown sugar filling;
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp flour
- 3 Tbsp butter
cinnamon icing;
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 Tbsp heavy cream this can be adjusted if it’s too runny or too thick!
Instructions
shortbread bars;
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease an 8X8 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add the room temperature butter and brown sugar, and cream them together. Add the egg and mix it in.
- Add ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt and mix together.
- Add in 2½ cups flour slowly and mix until completely incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half. Press one half into the bottom of your prepared pan. On your counter, roughly roll or press the other half into an 8"x8" square. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it will be much easier to form the second layer to fit outside the pan.
brown sugar filling;
- Mix together all filling ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 2 tsp flour, 3 Tbsp softened butter. Spread this mixture evenly across the shortbread layer in the pan.
- Take the remaining dough half and spread it across the top. Gently spread into the corners so the whole layer is covered.
- Bake 35 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
cinnamon icing;
- Mix together all icing ingredients: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, and 4 Tbsp heavy cream. Add more cream or more powdered sugar to adjust the consistency. Pour the icing over top of the cooled bars and spread with a spoon.
- Once the icing has set, cut with a knife and enjoy!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Baking/s/UhIAG67IUR
