Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies

Upgrade your nostalgia with these ultimate brown sugar pop tart cookies. Featuring a chewy browned-butter dough, a gooey cinnamon center, and a sweet glaze, they are the perfect bakery-style treat.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Chilling time 1

Total Time 1 32

Equipment

Baking Sheets
Electric Mixer
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

FILLING

▢ 3/8 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (75g)
▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (28g) softened to room temperature
▢ 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

GLAZE

▢ 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g)
▢ 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted (14g)
▢ 1 Tablespoon milk (15mL)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Brown the butter, then build the dough

Start by browning the butter for the dough and the filling, then let it cool until it looks creamy and soft again, not melted or oily. When it is ready, it should smell nutty and toffee-like, like warm toasted hazelnuts.
In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended. Whisk for a full 20 seconds so the leaveners are evenly distributed.
Cream the cooled browned butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high until noticeably lighter and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture looks smooth and cohesive, scraping the bowl so nothing streaky hides at the bottom.
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients gradually and mix just until no floury pockets remain. The dough should look soft and thick, and it should feel slightly tacky but not wet.

Chill the dough

Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. This prevents the stuffed cookies from spreading fast and leaking.

Prep the filling and portion everything

When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line two large baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.
In a small bowl, mash together the brown sugar, softened browned butter, flour, and cinnamon until it becomes a cohesive paste.
Scoop the chilled dough into 1 Tablespoon portions. Count them, then divide by two, because each cookie is made from two dough balls.
Divide the filling into the number of portions you need, then roll into smooth balls, each about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons in size.

Stuff, seal, and bake

Working with one pair at a time, gently flatten each dough ball in your palm. Set the filling ball in the center of one flattened piece, then place the second flattened dough piece on top like a sandwich.
Pinch the seam all the way around, then roll the cookie between your hands until the surface looks smooth and no filling peeks through. Arrange no more than 6 cookies per baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops look just set and the edges are barely turning golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.

Glaze with that classic cinnamon finish

Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, milk, and cinnamon until smooth and thick but spreadable.
Spoon about 1 scant teaspoon of glaze onto each cooled cookie and gently spread it to the edges. Let it set for about 30 minutes.

Notes

Precision Weighing: Weigh both your dough and filling portions with a kitchen scale to ensure uniformity. This prevents the cookies from leaking and gives them a professional bakery finish.

Perfect Seal: After pinching the seam of the stuffed cookie, make sure to roll it smoothly in your hands until no creases or raised rings are visible. If a crease remains, keep pinching.

Temperature Control: Stuffed cookies burst if the dough becomes too warm. If you notice the dough getting soft while assembling, pop the assembled balls back into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

Proper Glazing: Never glaze warm cookies. Wait until they are completely cool to the touch, or the cinnamon icing will melt and slide off the edges.

Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Keyword brown sugar pop tart cookies, stuffed cookies, toaster pastry

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