Butter Tarts

Prep Time:   Crust: 10 minutes plus resting time;    Filling: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Yield:  12-18 tarts (depending on pan size)

Ingredients:

Tart Shells:

230 g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

225 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt

Tart Filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) Thompson raisins, soaked for several hours in a liquid such as a half-and-half mixture of water and vanilla extract, rum, or apple juice

210 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar
250 mL (1 cup) golden cane syrup (Lyle’s Golden Syrup)
115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter

2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5 mL) apple cider vinegar

Method:

1. Prepare the raisins by placing them in a small bowl with your choice of soaking liquid. Let soak for at least ½ hour while the other ingredients are being prepared.

 Make the Dough:

1. In a food processor or mixing bowl, or with a pastry blender, cream together butter and sugar just until mixed.
2. Add egg and pulse to mix.
3. Combine the flour and salt and gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture. Process or mix just until it comes together.   Turn out on a large sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Form into a ball, and then gently flatten into a disk (8 or 9 inches in diameter). This will assist with rolling out the dough later on. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. This dough also freezes really well.
4. At baking time, pre-heat oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C).   Roll out dough on a well-floured surface to about an 1/8 inch thickness.   This dough is somewhat difficult to manage as it gets soft quite quickly. Keep the surface well floured.   Cut into 12-18 rounds – approximately 3 ½ – 4 1/2 inches in diameter (depending upon the size of your tart pan).   You can a large cookie cutter, or a drinking glass.
5. Press each round into the tart pan; Use a fork to gently flute each shell and to prick each shell.   Put pan in the freezer for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the Filling:

1. Put the dark brown sugar and the cane syrup in a small saucepan. Over low-medium heat, slowly heat up mixture in order to dissolve the sugar. Stir constantly.  Do not boil – just heat it gently to dissolve the sugar.
2. Remove from heat and add butter to the sugar-syrup mixture. Stir to melt. Use a whisk to fully incorporate the melted butter in the sugar-syrup mixture.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla, salt, and vinegar.
4. Pour a little (a tablespoon or two) of the warm sugar-syrup-butter mixture over the eggs in order to temper the eggs. Stir to combine. Proceed to pour the remaining mixture over the eggs. Stir to combine, and to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
5. Remove tart shells from freezer.
6. Drain raisins and divide the raisins evenly among the tart shells.
7. Fill tart shells with the prepared filling. Do not over-fill – ensure that there is a visible band of pastry in each cup.
8. Bake at 350⁰F (180⁰C) for 10-12 minutes;  reduce oven temperature to 325 F (165 C) for 10-12 minutes.  Baking times depends upon the size of the tarts.  Watch the tarts as they bake and adjust the temperature accordingly.
9. Let tarts cool in the pan before gently removing from the pan.

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