Butter Tarts

Name: Butter Tarts
Prep time: 80 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 280 g all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling); 0.5 tsp salt (for the pastry); 115 g cold unsalted butter (cubed, for the pastry); 100 g cold vegetable shortening (cubed); 1 tbsp white vinegar (for the pastry); 100 ml ice water; 75 g raisins; 60 g unsalted butter (melted, for the filling); 110 g packed brown sugar; 125 ml golden corn syrup; 1 whole large egg (at room temperature); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp white vinegar (for the filling); 1 pinch salt (for the filling)

Serves 12 · 100 min · Canadian

Ingredients

280 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
115 g cold unsalted butter
100 g cold vegetable shortening
1 tbsp white vinegar
100 ml ice water
75 g raisins
60 g unsalted butter
110 g packed brown sugar
125 ml golden corn syrup
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
1 pinch salt

Method

01
Cut in the fat In a large bowl, mix the flour and half a teaspoon of salt, then cut in the cold butter and shortening with a pastry cutter until the pieces are about the size of small peas.
02
Bring the dough together Stir the tablespoon of vinegar into the ice water, then sprinkle it over the flour a little at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a handful.
03
Chill the dough Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap it, and chill it in the fridge for thirty minutes.
04
Soak the raisins While the dough chills, cover the raisins with hot water and let them soak for ten minutes, then drain and pat them dry.
05
Line the muffin tin Roll the dough on a floured counter to about three millimetres thick, cut out twelve rounds about ten centimetres wide, and press each one gently into the cups of a standard muffin tin so the pastry comes slightly above the rim.
06
Chill the shells Put the lined tin in the fridge for fifteen minutes while you heat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius with a rack in the lower third.
07
Mix the filling Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla, the teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt just until smooth and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
08
Fill the shells Scatter a few raisins into each chilled shell, then pour in the filling until each one is about two thirds full.
09
Bake the tarts Bake on the lower rack for about eighteen minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling and puffed but still slightly wobbly in the centre.
10
Cool and release Let the tarts cool in the tin for about twenty minutes, then run a thin knife around each one and lift it out onto a rack.

Method

Cut in the fat

In a large bowl, mix the flour and half a teaspoon of salt, then cut in the cold butter and shortening with a pastry cutter until the pieces are about the size of small peas.

Keep everything cold. If the fat starts to look greasy or soft, put the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes before carrying on.

Bring the dough together

Stir the tablespoon of vinegar into the ice water, then sprinkle it over the flour a little at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a handful.

You may not need all the water. Stop as soon as it clumps, because too much water makes tough pastry.

Chill the dough

Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap it, and chill it in the fridge for thirty minutes.

Chill the dough · 30 min

Soak the raisins

While the dough chills, cover the raisins with hot water and let them soak for ten minutes, then drain and pat them dry.

Soak the raisins · 10 min

Line the muffin tin

Roll the dough on a floured counter to about three millimetres thick, cut out twelve rounds about ten centimetres wide, and press each one gently into the cups of a standard muffin tin so the pastry comes slightly above the rim.

Gather and reroll the scraps once only. Pastry rolled many times shrinks and turns tough.

Chill the shells

Put the lined tin in the fridge for fifteen minutes while you heat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius with a rack in the lower third.

Chill the shells · 15 min

Mix the filling

Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla, the teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt just until smooth and the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Do not beat hard. Too much air makes the filling foam up and boil over in the oven. If you cannot find corn syrup, use golden syrup or pure maple syrup instead.

Fill the shells

Scatter a few raisins into each chilled shell, then pour in the filling until each one is about two thirds full.

Do not overfill. The filling bubbles up as it bakes and will stick the tarts to the tin.

Bake the tarts

Bake on the lower rack for about eighteen minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling and puffed but still slightly wobbly in the centre.

Baking on the lower rack crisps the bottoms. Pull them while the centres still jiggle if you like a runny filling.

Bake the tarts · 18 min

Cool and release

Let the tarts cool in the tin for about twenty minutes, then run a thin knife around each one and lift it out onto a rack.

Loosen them while still a little warm. Once the syrup sets fully, any that bubbled over will glue themselves to the tin.

Cool and release · 20 min

Butter Tarts

Ingredients

Method

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