Abi Balingit: Wild Berry Ube Pop-Tarts
Abi Balingit, award-winning baker, and author of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, shares her formula for happiness blending Ube Frangipane with childhood mainstay, Pop-Tarts.
So happy to have you at the table for this one, Pop-Tart nostalgia meets almond cream in an unexpectedly perfect remix.
Abi Balingit is a baker and author based in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut cookbook, Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, won the 2024 James Beard Emerging Voice Award in Books. Check out her baking blog, The Dusky Kitchen. Also, peruse her IG. She’s as colorful and bright as her treats.
Abi shares the origin and her memories about developing this “Crazy Good” (Pop-Tarts slogan) recipe, followed by the recipe below.
In Abi’s own words:
I first made these Wild Berry Ube Pop-Tarts for Cake Zine’s Gaza relief bake sale in January 2024, and it’s one of those recipes that I’ve come back to again and again. It feels so nostalgic every time I open a box of Pop-Tarts and tear open those iconic silver wrappers. As a kid, I used to ration one of each pair and save it in a Ziploc bag for the next breakfast, just so that they would last longer. I remember especially savoring the edges where there were only icing and Technicolor sprinkles to nibble on. Even when I first moved to New York as a 22-year-old, I would stock the apartment I shared with my roommates, Milly and Lan, with the occasional box of frosted Pop-Tarts.
When I was developing the recipe for these tarts, my friend Madeline absolutely devoured the test batch I gave her. She still says it’s her favorite dessert that I’ve ever made! I had to surprise her and bake them for her going-away party this past August. No matter how many times I’ve made a dessert that someone said they enjoyed, it’s still a wonderful feeling that you can make someone else happy with something you’ve created. Sure, aspects of baking can be tedious (especially cleaning all the bowls when you don’t have a dishwasher!). But I love how tangible a gift it really is. I hope this recipe makes its way from your screen into your homes.
It’s such a delight to crush up the iconic squiggly-designed Pop-Tarts and see the blue and violet flecks interspersed in a food processor. Not to mention, it’s so much easier to make a tart shell out of Pop-Tart crumbs because the jam particles help to bind them when baked in the oven. The ube frangipane is a Filipino-French-inspired filling with the almonds complementing the nutty notes in the purple yam. The tad of nutmeg gives the filling a warm flavor that doesn’t overpower the delicate notes of ube. The acidity of the fresh raspberries, along with the extra crunch from sliced almonds on top, is perfect. With a sprinkle of powdered sugar, they’re ready to be served to people that you love.
Wild Berry Ube Pop-Tarts Recipe
Ingredients:
5 ⅓ cups Wild Berry Pop-Tart crumbs (1 whole Pop-Tart is worth a little over ⅓ cup of crumbs)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature
2 ⅓ cups almond flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ube extract
Fresh raspberries, whole
Sliced almonds
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions:
Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pour ⅓ cup of Pop-Tart crumbs per 4-inch mini tart mold that has a removable bottom. Use the bottom of a cup to press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of each mold evenly.
Put 12 prepared molds on one lined baking sheet and the remaining 4 molds on the other one. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add each whole egg and egg white one at a time. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Adjust the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in almond flour, kosher salt, ground nutmeg, and ube extract. Mix until well-combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scoop ¼ cup of the ube frangipane mixture into each prepared tart mold. Spread the frangipane evenly on top of the crumb crust. Top each tart with 3 fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of sliced almonds.
Bake one sheet at a time for 25 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean and the edges are golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the baking process for the remaining tarts.
Once the tarts are cooled, remove them from their molds, dust the tops with powdered sugar, and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.