BEST BUTTER TARTS
This is one of our all-time favourite recipes from one of our all-time favourite foodies — the one and only Elizabeth Baird, award-winning cookbook author and member of the Order of Canada. If anyone knows Canadian cuisine — it’s Baird!
In this recipe, Baird says to feel free to replace the walnuts and/ or raisins with the add-ins you like — currants, pecans or chocolate, for example, or leave them out for plain.
Makes: 20 tarts
PASTRY:
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold butter, cubed 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold lard, cubed (or replace with additional butter) 1 large egg 2 tsp (10 mL) vinegar Ice water
FILLING:
1 cup (250 mL) packed light brown sugar 1 cup (250 mL) corn syrup 1/3 cup (80 mL) butter, cubed 2 large eggs at room temperature 3/4 cup (180 mL) chopped walnut halves 1/2 cup (250 mL) raisins 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
Pastry:
1. In large bowl, whisk flour with salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until mixture is crumbly sprinkled with some larger pieces. In liquid measuring cup, whisk egg with vinegar. Add enough ice water to make 2/3 cup (160 mL).
2. Gradually sprinkle egg mixture over flour mixture, all while stirring briskly with fork until pastry clumps and holds together. If there are floury bits lurking in bottom of bowl, add a splash more ice water to incorporate into ragged dough.
3. With floured hand, firmly press dough together; divide in half. Press each half into disc about 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick. Wrap each half and chill for 1 hour or up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature until pliable enough to roll out.
Filling:
1. Meanwhile, in saucepan, bring sugar and syrup to gentle simmer, stirring just to blend. Simmer gently for 3 minutes; let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in butter; let cool to room temperature.
2. In medium bowl beat eggs with vanilla and salt; pour butter mixture slowly over egg mixture, stirring continuously. Set aside.
3. On floured pastry cloth or counter, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8-inch (3-mm) thickness. Using 4-inch (10-cm) round cookie cutter (or bottom of empty 28 oz/796 mL) can), cut out 20 rounds. (Save any leftover dough for another purpose.)
4. Fit pastry rounds into muffin cups. Divide walnuts and raisins among pastry shells. Spoon in filling until shells are about three-quarters full. Bake in bottom third of preheated 400 F (205 C), oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F (175 C), and bake until pastry is golden and filling bubbling, about 10 minutes.
5. Let firm up for 3 minutes in muffin pans. With a table knife or small off-set spatula, run around each tart to loosen. Lift each out onto rack to cool. If tart feels too fragile to move, let it set in the cup a few minutes longer. Loosen any tarts with filling bubbled out before the filling hardens.