Canadian Northwest Territories Berry Tarts Recipes

CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Fill a cup with ice and water. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening to make pea-size pieces. Add the tablespoons of ice water from the cup until dough holds together. Form the dough into a ball. The dough is now complete. Put it into a plastic bag or wrap it up and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut the shells using a large glass or your smallest pot. You should have about 12 shells when finished. Put these shells into a greased muffin or tart pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
• Put walnuts and coconut on baking pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until brown. Remove from oven and set temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Fill the bottom of each tart shell with about 10 raisins each.
• Whisk together sugar, egg, butter, vanilla and hot water. Add coconut and walnuts. Pour mixture into tart shells, filling 2/3 full and no more.
• Bake in 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before attempting to remove. Makes 12 tarts.

CANADIAN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES BERRY TARTS

Steps:

• SWEET PASTRY: In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, orange rind and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until crumbly.
• Whisk together eggs, water and lemon juice; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork until moist enough to shape into ball (dough will be slightly sticky). Flatten into disc; wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Let soften to room temperature before rolling.
• On generously floured pastry cloth and using stockinette-covered rolling pin, roll out half of the pastry at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 1/2 inch rounds; ease into shallow 2 3/4 inch tart shells. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Line each tart shell with foil; fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake in 400°F oven for about 10 minutes or until light golden and firm. Remove foil and weights; let cool.
• FILLING: In bowl, combine sugar, flour and orange rind; blend in sour cream and egg yolk. Spoon about 1 tablespoons berries (mossberries or wild blueberries) into each tart shell; cover with about 1 tablespoons filling and top with 3 or 4 berries. Bake in 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is set. Let stand for 1 minute. Remove from pan and let cool on racks. Makes about 24 tarts.
• The Canadian Living Entertaining Cookbook.