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Your search for the best butter tarts stops here. This light, flaky pastry holds a rich filling that isn’t too runny or too thick.
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 to 3 tbsp ice-cold water
1/3 cup dried dried cranberries
2 tbsp rum, or orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup corn syrup
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
24 pecan halves, about 1/2 cup
Place 1 ¾ cups (425 mL) flour, 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar and salt in a food processor. Whirl until mixed. Add cold butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add ice-cold water, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, pulsing just until dough comes together. Or stir flour with sugar and salt in a bowl. Using two forks, mix in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Using a fork, work in water, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until dough can be shaped into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold enough to easily roll out, about 20 min.
For filling, place cranberries and rum in a small bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 30 sec. In another bowl, stir ½ cup (125 mL) sugar with 3 tbsp (45 mL) flour. Pour corn syrup into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Stir sugar mixture into corn syrup mixture until blended. Set aside.
Place rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Oil or spray a 12-cup muffin tin. Lightly flour counter and roll out cold dough no thicker than ¼ in. (0.5 cm). (Thin dough works best.) Using a 4-in. (10-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles, re-rolling dough pieces if necessary. Ease a pastry circle into each muffin cup, ruffling top edge as needed. Sprinkle 1 heaping tsp (7 mL) of rum-soaked cranberries into each shell, followed by 2 pecan halves. Pour corn syrup mixture into pastry shells until each is about three-quarters full. Bake on bottom rack of oven until filling is bubbly and top is golden, 18 to 20 min. While still warm, run a knife tip around edges of tarts. Cool completely in tin. Tarts will keep well at room temperature up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.
Calories 330, Protein 3g, Carbohydrates 43g, Fat 17g, Fibre 1g, Sodium 124mg.