Butter Gems Recipes

BEST CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Cut in the lard and butter using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
• In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar. Add enough cold water to make one cup.
• Gradually stir in the liquid, adding just enough to make the dough cling together.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball and divide into two equal portions. Tightly saran wrap both portions. Place one in the freezer for later use. Place the other in the fridge to chill for one hour.
• Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8″ thick. Cut as many 4″ circles as you can. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more circles to make 12.
• Fit the pastry circles into a muffin pan and place back in the fridge until ready to fill.
• Preheat oven to 375F and position a rack in lower third of oven.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and vanilla. Let cool to touch (about 5 minutes) before whisking in the egg.
• Divide the pecans (if using) among the pastry shells and pour in the filling until half full.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes or until crust is lightly golden around the edges and filling is bubbling.
• Let cool completely in the pan. Best way to remove the tarts from the pan is to place a cooling rack (upside down) on top and flip the pan over. Then individually flip each butter tart right side up.

BUTTER GEMS

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add flour and mix to form a thick paste.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350. Grease two baking sheets.
• Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Cut out rounds with a 1 1/4" cookie cutter. Bake on sheets for 10 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cookies can be decorated with piped swirls of buttercream and colored sugar.

SLICE 'N' BAKE LEMON GEMS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until easy to handle., Shape into a 7-in.-long roll (about 1-3/4-in. diameter); roll in colored sugar. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are light brown. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix icing ingredients; spread over cookies. Let stand until set.

GRANDMOTHER'S GEMS (BISCUITS)

Steps:

• Before mixing batter, grease iron gem pans ( I think this is our cast iron pans) , place in oven, set control at 400 degrees, turn on the heat.
• Sift flour and baking powder.
• Beat eggs vigorously, add sugar, salt and butter. Add flour alternately with the milk. Pour into gem pans which should be smoking hot. Bake: requires about 10 minutes.
• Needless to say the temperature data is my own addition. No doubt my granmother tested oven and gem pan temperature as she did her flat iron, with a wet finger tip.