Best Butter Tarts

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

311 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 12 tarts servings

Nutritional Info
Per tart: about	-
cal	233233 cal
pro	2 g2g pro
total fat	11 g11g total fat
sat. fat	6 g6g sat. fat
carb	32 g32g carb
fibre	1 g1g fibre
chol	55 mg55mg chol
sodium	133 mg133mg sodium
% RDI	-
calcium	22 calcium
iron	88 iron
vit A	77 vit A
vit C	55 vit C
folate	11 %11% folate

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Whether runny or firm, with raisins or nuts, butter tarts are treats that never go out of style. Because any sugar filling that overflows the pastry hardens quickly and sticks to the pan, be sure to remove the tarts as directed. Or count on family members to hang around the kitchen waiting to eat the tarts that stick and break.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 1-1/2cups cupsall-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt 1/4 1/4tsp tspsalt
1/4 cup cold butter , cubed1/4 1/4cup cupcold butter, cubed
1/4 cup lard , cubed1/4 1/4cup cuplard or butter, cubed
1 egg yolk 1 1egg yolkegg yolks
1 tsp vinegar 1 1tsp tspvinegar
Ice water Ice water
Filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 1/2cup cuppacked brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 1/2cup cupcorn syrup
1 egg 1 1eggeggs
2 tbsp butter , softened2 2tbsp tbspbutter, softened
1 tsp vanilla 1 1tsp tspvanilla
1 tsp vinegar 1 1tsp tspvinegar
1 pinch salt 1 1pinch pinchsalt
1/4 cup currants 1/4 1/4cup cupcurrants or raisins or chopped pecans or shredded coconut

Preparation

In large bowl, whisk flour with salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces.

In liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup (75 mL). Sprinkle over flour mixture, stirring briskly with fork until pastry holds together. Press into disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Filling: In bowl, whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt until blended; set aside.

On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness. Using 4-inch (10 cm) round cookie cutter (or empty 28 oz/796 mL can), cut out 12 circles, rerolling scrops once if necessary. Fit into 2-3/4- x 1-1/4-inch (7 x 3 cm) muffin cups. Divide currants among shells. Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.

Bake in bottom third of 450 F (230 C) oven until filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden, about 12 minutes. Let stand on rack for 1 minute. Run metal spatula around tarts to loosen; carefully slide spatula under tarts and transfer to rack to let cool.

Additional information : Chocolate Gooey Butter Tarts
Drizzle cooled tarts with 2 oz (60 g) melted semisweet or whilte chocolate.

Not-So-Gooey Butter Tarts
Increase brown sugar to 3/4 cup (175 mL); decrease corn syrup to 1/4 cup (50 mL).

Source : Everyday Favourites Cookbook, 2005