From the pantry: Pop these pastries for portable breakfast

Did you know Pop Tarts have been around 50 years?

I was surprised to discover the age of this breakfast pastry and laughed at the irony as I recently purchased my first box of Pop Tarts in about 20 years. It was all for research, you see.

I have been thinking a lot about the breakfasts that I enjoyed as a kid. High on the list were Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudel. I have vivid memories of those harried school mornings, pouring a quick glass of orange juice while waiting for my breakfast of choice to spring from the toaster.

At the time, I couldn't have thought of a better way to start my day.

Unfortunately, my edible research made for a sad discovery. The Pop Tart didn't live up to my childhood memories. My own child would not even eat more than a bite of it. Rather than buy a box of Toaster Strudel that would surely just destroy more childhood memories, I decided to make my own version.

To mimic the flaky crust of the strudel, I used premade puff pastry found in the supermarket freezer section. Instead of a fruit-filled pastry, I decided to make a savory version with cream cheese, ham and tomato. I added an egg to the cream cheese filling to pump up the protein and Dijon mustard and dried dill to give it a flavor boost. Topping the stuffed pastry with a sprinkling of sesame and poppy seeds added a bit of crunch to counter balance the light, flaky dough.

This was a portable breakfast success - albiet not as quick as the breakfast pastries of my youth - that evokes the same childhood memories while satisfying my own more savory breakfast cravings these days.

Ham, Tomato and Cream Cheese Turnovers

Makes 8

'6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

'2 large eggs, separated

'1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

'1/2 teaspoon dill weed

'Salt and pepper

'2 sheets of puff pastry dough (a 16- to 17-ounce package), defrosted

'1 large tomato, sliced in 1/4-inch thick slices and halved

'8 slices deli ham

'1 tablespoon sesame seeds

'1 tablespoon poppy seeds

'Flour, for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In large bowl, beat together cream cheese, one egg, mustard, dill and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk the second egg with a tablespoon of water and set aside.

Unfold the pastry sheets and cut each sheet into fourths. In the center of each square, spread some cream cheese mixture on, leaving a good 1/2 inch or more around the edges. Top with halved tomato slices. Fold ham in half and place on top of tomato. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash. Fold over each square to form a triangle and use the back of a fork to seal the edges tight. Make three small slits on the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape as it cooks. Brush egg wash over the top of each pastry and sprinkle with a bit of sesame and poppy seeds.

Bake each sheet in the oven until golden brown and puffed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool slightly before eating.