Better than Pop Tarts: Hindbær Snitters

I don't know about you, but I like saying "snitter."  Hindbær is "raspberry" in Danish and, for the life of me, I can't figure out why but snitter translates to "chopper."  In other words, this is a recipe for raspberry choppers.  But you know what?  That's kind of fun to say, too.

I have no idea if the hindbær snitter was the precursor to the Pop Tart, but there is a close similarity.  Only who would choose the packaged, processed, chemical-amped version over the natural, homemade one? Not me.

Last week I mentioned that I bought a few slices of hindbær snitter for the kids at our BBQ.  I was so taken with them that I had to try and make my own.  The recipe is a cinch, and I love the different steps involved.  The dough mixes up quickly, then gets chilled in the refrigerator for an hour.  After that the two discs of dough are each rolled into a large rectangle and baked.  After they cool for a few minutes, one rectangle gets spread with raspberry jam, the other goes on top, sandwich-style, and then the whole thing gets a nice, smooth layer of white icing.  The sprinkles on top are for pure fun.

Kids adore this dessert, and it might even be a fun one to tackle with their help.  They probably would love spreading the sprinkles around.

Hindbær Snitters
Recipe adapted from about.com

2.5c flour
1 1/4c. powdered sugar (I used 1c.) + 1c for glaze
1t vanilla sugar (optional)
1t baking powder
3/4c butter, diced into small cubes
1 egg, beaten
1c. raspberry jam
2-3T water
sprinkles

1.  Whisk together flour through baking powder.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mix until it resembles small crumbs.  Mix in beaten egg to form a soft dough.  My note:  I added 2T or so of water to help bind the dough.

2.  Divide dough in two halves, cover each with plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 375F/190C.  Using a rolling pin, roll out each half of chilled dough into an 8 x 12" rectangle, give or take a bit.  My rectangles weren't perfectly uniform, but you are going for two slabs of dough that are nearly identical so that you can make a "sandwich" with them later.

4.  Trim edges to make them square.  My note:  I trimmed after baking, which maybe wasn't such a good idea, but it worked fine.  Carefully roll the dough around your rolling pin and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Remove and cool.  My note:  I rolled and baked one rectangle at a time.

5.  Spread jam on bottom layer and cover with the top layer.  Combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons water to form a thick glaze. Spread over top layer and add sprinkles.  After 10 or so minutes, cut into bars.

Yield:  15-20