Alyssas Butter Fly 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.

AWARD-WINNING BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare muffin pans by rolling out pie dough and cutting 4-inch (approx) circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups; set aside in fridge until ready to fill.
• In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup; stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed.
• Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
• Drain raisins.
• Retrieve tart shells and divide raisins equally into all shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts.
• Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling.
• Canadians fall into two camps about butter tarts and are quite loyal to their favourite type: runny or firm.
• I like runny-- the type that dribbles when you bite into one; if you like firm, bake them for the full 20 minutes, even adding another minute or two if you wish.
• Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool.

ALYSSA'S BUTTER-FLY TARTS

Steps:

• PASTRY: Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl; cut in butter and shortening until pieces are about the size of small peas.
• Stir lemon juice into 3 tbsp of ice water; stir into flour mixture, adding more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, if needed, to just moisten.
• Press together to form a ball of dough; flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out pastry and cut into 4-inch (approx) circles using a round cookie cutter or the open end of a drinking glass.
• Fit pastry circles into muffin cups; refridgerate while preparing the filling.
• FILLING: Place raisins into a small bowl and cover with rum that has been warmed in the microwave or a small pot (or hot tap water) to soak and soften while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix the brown sugar, golden corn syrup, butter and salt together in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved and no butter streaks are visible.
• Add vanilla and egg and mix until combined.
• ASSEMBLY: Drain raisins and divide among tart shells; add approximately 2 tbsp of filling to each tart shell.
• Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until the filling is lightly browned and bubbling.
• Remove from oven and cool in the muffin pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on racks.