Who could say ‘no’ to these cute home-made strawberry and Nutella pop tarts for breakfast? Pop tarts are filled pastries that are eaten warm and are frosted with something sweet. These are quick to whip up, plus you can use any leftover jam or other confection!  

Nutella Pop Tarts

MAKES 15 tarts + 1 jar of strawberry jam // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min 

INGREDIENTS

For the jam
350g strawberries, fresh or frozen
300g sugar
1 lemon, juiced
½ vanilla pod 

For the pastry
250g flour, plus extra to dust
Pinch salt
3 Tbsp sugar
125g butter
1 egg, plus 1 for brushing 

To assemble
⅔ cup Nutella
½ cup icing sugar, plus extra to dust 

METHOD

For the jam

1. Add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla pod to a saucepan and let the sugar melt over a low heat.  
2. As soon as the sugar has melted, bring the mixture to a simmer. Leave to gently simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
   
3. If you have a sugar thermometer, the jam is ready when it reaches 104°C. If not, use the ‘wrinkle test’. Before you start cooking the jam, place a heatproof plate in the freezer. About 10 minutes into cooking the jam, test for readiness by dripping a little bit of the jam on to the ice-cold plate. The jam is ready once it sets and then wrinkles when you touch it. If not, simmer for another 3 minutes and then try again.
4. When the jam is cooked, spoon into a sterilised jar and refrigerate
   

For the pastry

1. Sift the flour, salt and sugar together. 
2. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then add the egg. If the dough is a little hard, add a drop of ice-cold water. Don’t handle the dough more than necessary, as this will make the final product too chewy.
3. Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it forms a ball.
4. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To assemble

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 5mm and cut out thirty 10cm circles with a cookie cutter. Brush the edges of 15 of the circles with egg wash, about 1cm thick.
3. Add 1 heaped tsp Nutella and 1 heaped tsp strawberry jam to the centre of the 15 pastry circles brushed with egg.  
4. Place another pastry circle on the top and press the edges together with a fork. 
5. Bake the pop tarts for 20 minutes.
6. To make a strawberry jam drizzle, mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp strawberry jam until it becomes runny . Dust the pop tarts with icing sugar, pour over the drizzle and serve.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimages.co.za

Nutella Hot Chocolate Porridge 

SERVES 4 

How would you like a naughty swirl of Nutella in your morning breakfast porridge? Then dig into our Nutella hot-chocolate porridge. 

INGREDIENTS

375ml milk
2 Tbsp Nutella 
125ml sorghum meal
1 tsp cocoa 
½ tsp coarse salt
2 Tbsp hazelnuts, crushed  

METHOD

1. Bring the milk and Nutella to a simmer in a pot.
2. Mix the sorghum, cocoa and salt and add to the simmering mixture.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–20 minutes until thickened.
4. Serve with extra milk, hazelnuts and a swirl of Nutella.