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Butter Tarts

These sweet and buttery tarts are one of Canada's favorite treats. This recipe is from the loving kitchens of Grandma Shirley Eason and her granddaughter Wendy (her crust recipe is included here.)
Yields: 18 butter tarts
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Equipment

  • Rolling pin
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 3" (standard size) muffin tin

Ingredients
  

For Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups cold, unsalted butter (3 sticks of butter or 12 ounces)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 T sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt (scant)
  • 6 T cold water
  • non-stick spray

For Filling:

  • 6 T butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions
 

Make the Crust

  • Chop up butter into 1/2" cubes. Mix together flour, sugar and salt in stand mixer using paddle attachment. Add cubed butter. Paddle until butter is the size of peas.
  • Add water, and mix until just combined. Pull out dough from mixer, shape into disc, and fridge for 1 hour.
  • Pull dough out and let sit at room temperature before ready to use so it becomes pliable, but still cold, about 20 minutes.
  • Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Roll out dough 1/8" thick. Cut out circles that are about 4" across. Use circles to line muffin tin, cutting off any excess dough. Keep lined muffin tin in fridge until ready to use.

Make the filling:

  • You'll want to bake these right after filling, so get your oven preheating to 400 degrees F.
  • Melt butter and allow to cool slightly.
  • In medium size bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract and vinegar. Add melted butter and raisins.
  • Using a spoon or small ladle to help, put filling into prepared pie shells. Fill up the shells only half way - they will expand quite a lot in the oven and will overflow if filled all the way. Once filled put in the preheated oven to bake.
  • Bake tarts for about 25 minutes, rotating half-way through. Tarts should be golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Pull from oven.
  • Right when the tarts come out of the oven, use a thin-bladed knife or small offset spatula, and run edge around outside of baked tarts, to release the sides of the tarts from the pan. Allow tarts to rest in tins for about 10 minutes.
  • Once the tarts have cooled slightly, use a knife or offset spatula to help you ease the tarts out of the muffin tin. Place tarts on a rack to cool a bit more, then serve.