Five Roses Butter Tart Recipes

GRANDMA BEATRICE'S PRIZE BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Combine brown sugar, raisins, butter, water, maple syrup, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until butter is melted and mixture is warm but not boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool a bit.
• Meanwhile, use a 4-inch round cutter to cut 12 circles of dough. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with the dough circles.
• Whisk egg and cream together in a small bowl, then whisk it into the cooled raisin mixture until well combined. Spoon it into the pastry shells, filling each one about 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue to bake, watching carefully, until the pastry edges are delicately browned, about 6 more minutes. Try to catch them before the filling bubbles up and spills over the edges.
• Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before serving.

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.

PRIZE BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare pastry dough; cut in circles and line 3-inch tart pans with pastry circles.
• Combine balance of ingredients.
• Spoon mixture into unbaked pastry lined pans, filling each no more than 2/3 full (if the filling bubbles over it makes one heck of a mess!). Bake for 20 minutes or until filling has cooked and pastry is golden.
• Notes: This can be made without the raisins or nuts, but they are very plain.
• I generally make these with a combination of nuts and raisins.
• Craisins can be substituted for the raisins.
• For Jam Tarts: Line tart pan cups with pastry.
• Fill cups 1/2 full with your choice of jam.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.