Butter Tarts

Coming up to Christmas there is lots of baking and cooking going on and this is a great recipe for butter tarts.

Butter Tarts

2 eggs – slightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Maple syrup or corn syrup
2 tsp vinegar
6 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)

Mix the slightly beaten eggs and salt together. Blend together the brown sugar and syrup and heat gently over medium heat until dissolved. Add hot syrup mixture slowly to egg mixture and blend together.

When you add the hot syrup to eggs, stir all the time you are pouring.

Add vinegar, melted butter and chopped nuts. Fill 12 tart shells 2/3 full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until done, about another 10 minutes.

I butter the muffin tin lightly before filling, run a knife around each tart when you take out of oven, let cool for a few minutes before removing from tin.

Pie Crust

1lb shortening or lard
5 ½ cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup cold water

Cut fat into the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. When it looks like small pea sized balls make a well in the middle

Beat egg slightly. Add vinegar and cold water to make 1 cup

Pour the egg mixture into the well. Cut the flour mixture into the egg until all the flour binds

You can use your hands near the end but touch the pastry as little as possible as it makes it tough

Shape into discs to roll – makes 5 pie crusts

You can freeze extra dough for up to four months