Skip to Pecan Tart Recipe »

Humble Pie Bakery's Infamous Butter Tarts

ingredients

Pastry:
1 1/4 cup (300 mL) vegetable shortening
1/4 cup (50 mL) unsalted butter
4 cups (1 L) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold water

Filling:
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vinegar
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) corn syrup
1/2 cup (125 mL) raisins

method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Cream shortening and butter together by hand or with electric mixer. Sift in flour and salt. Mix until crumbly. Stir in enough cold water to make a soft dough. Knead together for 30 seconds or until dough comes together.

3. Roll dough out between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper, until 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick. Cut into 4-inch (10-cm) circles to fit muffin pans. Ease into muffin pans. Chill for 30 minutes.

4. Cream together butter, sugar and salt. Add vinegar, vanilla, eggs and corn syrup. Don't over-mix. Chill for 30 minutes. Stir together before filling tarts.

5. Fill each pastry shell with 1 tsp (5 mL) raisins. Spoon about 1/4 cup (50 mL) syrup mixture into every cup. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on a rack. The tarts take approximately 2 hours to set; refrigerate to speed up the process. With a small, sharp knife cut around tarts and ease out of tins.

Makes 12 to 14 large butter tarts.

LCBO Food and Drink Autumn 2002
By: Wesley Edwards; Chef of Humble Pie Bakery, Baysville

--------------------------------------------------------------

Mom's Pecan Tarts

ingredients

Prepared Unbaked Tart Shells
(Use your own recipe, try the one above or try my Mom's, which is always 1 cup Crisco shortening, 3 cups Monarch Cake and Pastry Flour, mix with pastry blender, make well in center and add 5 Tbsp. ice water.)

Filling:

1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Pinch salt
1/2 cup raisins, plumped (instructions below)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

method

* To plump raisins, put raisins in a 1 cup measure and add very hot water, enough to cover raisins. Let stand at last 5 minutes.

Combine corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla. Let cool.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and pinch salt. Add to sugar mixture.

Put plumped raisins *(see above for how to plump raisins) in shells. Fill with sugar mixture. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Bake at 425° F. for 5 minutes, then at 350° F. for 5-10 minutes (watch for done-ness here)