Butter Tarts With Currants Recipes

BEST RAISIN CURRANT BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl; cut in the shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the flour mixture is moistened. When you squeeze a handful of the moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray 36 muffin cups with cooking spray.
• Roll pastry out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds; press rounds into the bottom and up sides of muffin cups to make tart shells.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract just until combined. Stir raisins and currants into butter mixture; fill tart shells with mixture 2/3-full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes; leaving oven closed, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and bake until filling is bubbly and pastry is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Make the pastry: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, rub butter or lard into flour until mixture is in pea-size pieces.
• In a small bowl, mix water, egg yolk and vinegar until well combined. Add liquid to the flour mixture, using a fork to combine. Add 1 tablespoon more water if it looks dry.
• Knead dough several times by hand to bring it together and shape into a flat square. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Once chilled, roll out the dough into a 16-inch-by-12-inch (40.5 centimeters by 30.5 centimeters) rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch (3 to 6 millimeters) thick. Flour the work surface and rolling pin as you work with the dough.
• Use a circular 4-inch (10 centimeter) cookie cutter (or a clean 28-ounce/496 milliliter can) to cut 12 pieces. Reroll dough if needed to cut more circles, but try to cut as many pieces on the first pass. With your fingertips, press each circle into the cup of a standard muffin tin, so that the edge of the dough is flush with the pan. Refrigerate while while you make the filling.
• In a bowl, cover raisins with hot tap water to plump. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Make the filling: In a bowl, mix brown sugar and salt, and then beat the butter into the sugar by hand until smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix until combined. Do not use an electric mixer; it will add too much air to the filling.
• Drain the raisins and place seven or eight raisins in each chilled tart shell.
• Divide the filling evenly among the tart shells, filling each one about halfway. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes for a runnier tart and 17 to 19 minutes for a firmer one.
• A few minutes after removing the tarts from the oven, run a knife or offset spatula around the edge of each tart to loosen. Let cool completely in the tin. To remove, run a butter knife or offset spatula around and under each tart to pop it out of the tin.

BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Cream the butter, sugar and eggs well. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Pour batter into tart shells, no more than half full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Watch carefully!!--they'll burn quickly. Filling will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or so. Liquid coffee creamer can be used for cream. Use any good pie pastry for shells.

BUTTER TARTS (WITH CURRANTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Double pie crust recipe can be used for tart shells.
• Cut pie crust into circles (use a glass or biscuit cutter). Press into buttered muffin tin.
• Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir in currants and egg yolk. Add beaten egg white and mix well.
• Use 1 1/2 scant teaspoons of filling for each tart to avoid overflow. Bake until filling is foamy and crust is brown, aprox. 12-15 minutes.
• Makes 2 dozen.

CURRANT TARTS

Steps:

• To Make the Filling:.
• Wash the currants and drain them.
• Stir the sugar and butter together well. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the currants.
• To Make the Pastry:.
• Mix the flour and salt together.
• Cut the lard into the flour and salt until the consistency is like crumbs. Gradually add enough of the water to make the dough hold together, and form it into a ball.
• Roll out the dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter and fit into muffin tins (regular size, not mini).
• To Assemble & Bake:.
• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• Put a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the filling into each unbaked tart shell.
• Bake @ 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and golden and crust is done. (Don't overbake - the filling should not be too brown or crispy.).

TO-DIE-FOR BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Heat currants, maple extract, and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan over low heat until currants are soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray 24 muffin cups or individual tart pans with cooking spray.
• Whisk flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening and cold butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until flour mixture is moistened. Do not add more water than you need: when you squeeze a handful of the moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls.
• Roll out one half of dough on a lightly-floured surface. Cut tart shells out of dough with a 3 1/2-inch circular cutter, and press into prepared tins. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover tins; set aside.
• Heat brown sugar, 2/3 cup butter, cream, and vanilla over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Whisk a few spoonfuls of the warm butter mixture into beaten eggs, then whisk egg mixture into the butter mixture.
• Divide the currants, along with their liquid, into the bottom of the prepared tart shells. Fill each shell about 3/4-full with butter mixture. Place a pecan half on top of each tart.
• Bake tarts in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. With oven door closed, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C); continue baking until filling is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; allow to cool for a few minutes before loosening tarts from pan with a knife. Remove tarts to cool completely on a wire rack.

REAL CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Line tart tins with pastry. Sprinkle 6-8 currants into each tart shell.
• Let butter cool to room temp, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.
• Spoon into unbaked tart shells, filling about 2/3 full.
• Bake at 200F for 15 min, then without taking the tarts out, turn the oven to 350°F Bake another 10-15 min, until they start to brown. This method will prevent them from boiling over.
• Note: I use Tenderflake lard and make the pastry using the instructions on the box, chilling the dough before rolling. Roll it a little thicker than for pie pastry, and use a little extra flour.