Best Butter Tarts
(Canadian Living, 11/1998)
Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup shortening, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vinegar
ice water
Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp each vanilla and vinegar
pinch salt
1/4 cup currants, raisins, chopped pecans or shredded coconut (optional)
In large bowl, combine flour with salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and shortening until in fine crumbs. In 1 cup liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup.
Gradually sprinkle egg mixture over flour mixture, stirring briskly with fork until pastry holds together. Press into disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled or for up to 3 days.
Filling: in bowl, vigorously whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar, and salt. Set aside.
On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8" thickness. Using 4" round cookie cutter or an empty 28 oz. can, cut out 12 circles, re-rolling scraps if necessary.
Fit circles into muffin cups. Divide currants among pastry shells. Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.
Bake in bottom third of 450°F oven for about 12 minutes or until filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden. 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.
Because sugar filling hardens quickly and sticks to the muffin pan, be sure to remove tarts from pan as directed.
For less gooey tarts, increase brown sugar to 3/4 cup and decrease corn syrup to 1/4 cup.
Cate
(3/24/00)
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