Melt in Your Mouth Butter Tarts

Butter Tarts

Today’s posting is dedicated to the memory of my Mother.  This June 16th, 2013 marks the first year of her passing.   These butter tarts are my Mom’s recipe.  She was FAMOUS – we are talking seriously famous for her butter tarts during her life time.  Her butter tarts were so good that ex-boyfriends would risk a daughter’s wrath and return to the scene of their crime for them (I kid you not!).  My brothers would have chained her to the oven if it would have ensured a non-stop supply of these babies (or her cinnamon rolls).   Mom’s melt in your mouth crust was always so short, flaky and golden brown and the filling was solid not runny and had just enough raisins.  My mouth is watering LOL.   Every special occasion these were made as part of her baking repertoire.  If she hadn’t made them when we weren’t around and frozen some- there would never have been any left for said special occasion!  Mine can’t touch Mom’s but they are pretty darn close thanks to her recipe.  Love you Mom!

I share this recipe with you today dear reader in hopes of spreading a bit of the love my Mom shared with us through  her kitchen and her butter tarts.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we all did and continue to do so.

I would also, at this time, like to give a nod to my friend Jimmy!  A gourmand in his own right.  I positively adore a man who not only knows his way around a kitchen but who loves to eat!  Jimmy loves butter tarts and I promised him I would post the recipe here.  So here it is, enjoy my friend!

How do you like your butter tarts?  Ooey-gooey? Firm and chewy? Raisins? No Raisins? A mix of dates, currants and raisins?  Some chopped pecans? A little bitter sweet chocolate on the bottom of the crust? Thick crust or thin?  Lots of filling or not so much?  I hope you decide to make them and that they become one of your favourites and a regular in your baking repertoire as well.  Drop us a line and let us know how your butter tarts turned out.  I can hardly wait to hear all about it 😉

Hollie’s Pastry Dough

*makes two open-faced pies or one pie with a lid or 12 tart shells depending on the size of your tin

21/2 cups of flour  (350 grams all-purpose flour or 325 grams of cake/pastry flour)

1/2 pound of butter  (226.80 grams {g / butter})  (or a mixture of butter and vegetable shortening.  I’m an all butter girl myself)

1/4 cup  (60 ml)  cold water (ice or tap)

Mix the flour and butter with a pastry blender, fork or your hands.  If using your hands and they are very warm  just run them under cold water for a minute and dry well before handling the mixture.  Leave some nice chunks of butter in the mix for a flaky crust.  Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix.  Keep adding water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a ball. Sometimes depending on the weather or the heat in your kitchen you may need more or less water, that is why you add it a tablespoon at a time after the initial first 3 tablespoons.  It’s much easier to add gradually then add to much water and try to fix it.

Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 20 minutes.  Flour your work surface and start rolling your dough.  You can also roll it between parchment or plastic wrap for easier clean up.

Butter Tarts

Once it’s all rolled out you can start cutting your dough.  Remember to make them big enough to be able to go all the way up the sides of the tin and put your filling in.  I always cut one first and try it in the tin before cutting all of them.  Measure twice and cut once rather than having to re-roll all your dough.  Say that ten times quick  😉  Roll it out about 1/4″ thick.

I used a fluted edged cutter but you can use a clean tin can, a big mug or cup.  I have even been known to trace a smaller plate with a knife.  Necessity is the mother of invention.  Whatever gets the job done!

I’ll let you in on a little secret too.  I always take my tray of uncooked tart dough and I put it in the fridge or freezer until I’m done making my tart filling.  Why you ask?  When the cold pastry (butter) hits the hot preheated oven it creates steam in the pastry causing it to puff up and become lovely and flaky.  Would I lie to you?  Never!

I do apologize dear reader, it would seem I forgot to take a picture of the tart filling for you ;-(    Truth be told it was not all that exciting and the process is fairly straightforward.

The Filling

2 Extra Large Eggs or 3 Large Eggs

2 cups of lightly packed brown sugar (any kind you like; golden, dark brown, etc.)

2 tablespoons white vinegar (I think lemon juice would be permissible in a pinch)

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup butter (measured and then melted)

Optional; 1&1/3 cups red currants, or chopped or not chopped raisins; or chopped dates or chopped figs or chopped pecans OR a mixture of all of them to 1& 1/3 cups in total measure.  You can even make them without anything but the brown sugar mixture which I have been known to do on occasion.  The addition of vinegar cuts the sweetness of the filling but if you really like a sugar coma you can leave it out as well.  For a uber special treat, some bitter sweet chocolate at the base, just a tablespoon or two.  Just melt some bitter sweet chocolate (chips or baking chocolate) in the microwave at one minute intervals.  Stir between each minute and watch carefully not to scorch because it can’t be fixed.

Place the butter in a pot on the stove or in a microwaveable measuring cup and melt it.  When it’s melted add all the other ingredients and heat on medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Stay with it and stir it constantly unless you like burnt brown sugar bits in your tart  😉  If you are making it in the microwave just stir it in one minute increments.  It shouldn’t take more than 4 minutes tops.

Take your prepared tart shells out of the fridge and fill them one-third to halfway with the butter tart filling.  I do not recommend filling past this point because they will bubble up and over when baking.  Place in a preheated 450F oven for the first 10 minutes, then turn down to 350F for 20-25 minutes.  My oven is very hot so I bake them at 350F for the entire time and if you like them a little more crispy or golden brown then just bake them a few extra minutes.  Let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then either turn them on their sides or remove them from the tin to finish cooling on a rack.

I do hope that you will try making these.  I know you will be blushing from all the ‘oohs’ and ‘aaahhs’ and ‘mmmms and smiles you will be cultivating.  The neighbours will be making up excuses to come over because of the amazing aroma wafting out of  your kitchen tantalizing their taste buds and driving them insane.  Bet you no one can eat just one!

            Butter Tart Nirvana

Please enjoy responsibly lol and please leave a comment, message, thought below.  I love to hear from you 😉

Rhubarb Tart My Way

A Tart By Any Other Name

I ask you, what’s not to love about rhubarb?  It can be stewed, baked, made into jam or compote and even fruit roll ups.  I mean cobblers, crumbles, muffins, loaves, cakes, pies. Do I need to carry on here?  It is so versatile and delicious. It can even be served with pork roast (one of my favourite ways to eat it).  I can not think of a single, solitary way that I would not like to eat it with the exception of it being raw.  My friend Jan was telling me how, as a child, her mom would give her and her sisters a cup of sugar and send them out to the rhubarb patch and they would have at her (that just made my eyelids turn inside out thinking about it!). 😉

I entitled this post Rhubarb Tart My Way because really it’s a pie made in a tart pan.  Who said you must make pie in a round pie shell?  I’ve made them in a cast iron fry pan and free form on the backside of a cookie sheet.  If you really had your heart set on a traditional tart just make a sweet shortbread like crust.

I love the tartness of rhubarb, its beautiful ruby, pink, maroon and green colours and even the smell of it, especially freshly picked from my parent’s garden.  Although, I must admit I like it even better when it’s picked and waiting for me!

Rhubarb Tart with Whole Wheat Crust

I used to be dough-phobic (yes I like to make words up!).  I used to fear the dough.  We are talking full out avoid the entire process!  But then one magical day I learned the less you do to it the better it turns out.

All Butter Pie Crust Dough

2 1/2 cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour (can use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour)
2 tablespoons sugar (optional, I often skip this step because I forget it)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
8 tablespoons ice water

Place all but the water into the food processor and pulse it just until it’s a coarse meal in texture but chunks of butter are fine, preferred even.  Then add half the water and give it a pulse. Then keep adding one tablespoon at a time until moist clumps start to form.  Then remove and form into one big ball and cut in half, placing each half that you’ve shaped into a round disc into plastic wrap or a ziploc bag and place in fridge for about 1/2 an hour minimum and two hours maximum before rolling.  Yes you could you lard or half lard and half butter but why would you?  I’ve just always used butter and have had great successes with it.

While the pie dough is chilling in the fridge, it’s time to chop the rhubarb (into one inch pieces) and filling.

For every 2 cups of rhubarb make the following custard;

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

Mix all the ingredients together.  At first it will look too dry but just keep stirring and it will become creamy and pudding like in consistency.  You want your tart to be full but not in a mound.  I use about 4 cups of rhubarb per shell but if you have a little more feel free to put it in.  Pour this mixture all over your washed and 1″ diced rhubarb and stir it all together. Pour into bottom shells.

Assembly

Roll out your bottom crust. Place into whatever vessel you are using.  I doubled my pie crust because I knew I wanted to make two tarts.  Once the crust is rolled out I fold the crust in half and pull it halfway across the pan and then just unfold it.  You can also just roll it right around your rolling pin and then roll it out over your pie plate or tart pan.  Gently push it down in and around the pan and then take the rolling pin and roll it right across the top of your pan and it will cut off all the excess dough for you.  Place your rhubarb with custard mixture into this shell.

Tart shell lined with parchment (removable bottom tart pans)

Top Crust

I like to have fun with my top crusts and make them as pretty and interesting as I can.  You can use your favourite cutters or design your own or just make a pretty lattice topping.  Just roll out the dough and cut into strips and weave them above and  under a strip you’ve already laid down.

Lattice Top Rhubarb Tart

Decorative Top Round Rhubarb Tart

We eat with our eyes first and you went to all that trouble so why not wow them!  You can then brush your top crust with beaten egg yolk, milk or cream.  You can also sprinkle coarse sugar on the top for a little extra sparkle if you like.

Changing it up

You can add strawberries or raspberries to the rhubarb if you like.  The reds are so pretty together and are an awesome flavour combo.  You could also add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg to your rhubarb if the urge hits you.

Tips

Roll your dough between two sheets of parchment for a super easy and no stick pie crust.  Peel the paper away from the crust – not the crust from the paper.

I put my tart pans on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  It makes for an easier clean up should anything happen to bubble over and it makes it easier to go in and out of the oven.

Trick

When I’ve left the butter on the counter too long and it’s become soft I just go ahead and mix it with the flour & salt (I usually do it with a fork).  I mix it very roughly..no uniform size chunks of butter.  Chunks are good!  I then throw the entire bowl in the freezer for a good twenty minutes sometimes more and then when the butter is cold I just add the water, mix until it comes together and roll it out.  Those chunks of butter, after they are all nice and cold from the freezer,  are going to plump up into a beautiful tender and very flaky pie crust once they hit the heat of the oven.  The coldness of the pastry with the heat of the oven creates a steam which is going to give you the absolute best pie crust in the entire history of ever!

Your masterpiece will look so pretty that you will think it’s a shame to cut into it…but resistance is futile…so go ahead!  Can’t take the heavenly aroma wafting through the house any longer? Still a little too warm? Even better! Serve it up with a dollop of fresh cream or some vanilla bean ice-cream.  Sit back and prepare yourself for the applause…oh yes they will applaud!