Loaded Butter Tarts - traditional easy to make butter tarts with the addition of toasted pecans, chocolate chips, raisins and dried coconut; ultimately decadent.
Course
Dessert
Prep Time45minutes
Cook Time15minutes
Total Time1hour
Servings16-18 tarts
AuthorBarry C. Parsons
Ingredients
For the Pastry
2 ¼cupsflourpastry flour is best to use but all-purpose will do
1tbspbrown sugar
½tspsalt
½cupshorteningVery cold and cut in cubes
½cupbutterVery cold and cut in cubes
6tbspice water (approximatelyenough to bring the dough together)
For the Filling
½cuplightly packed brown sugar
½cupcorn syrup
¼cupbuttermelted
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
¼tspsalt
¼cupraisins
¼cupchocolate chips
¼cuplightly toasted chopped pecansor walnuts
¼cupdried coconutfinely cut (not sweetened)
Instructions
To prepare the pastry
Pulse the cold butter and shortening into the flour sugar and salt using a food processor until the shortening or butter is reduced to pea sized pieces.
Sprinkle the water over the surface and toss with a fork until the water is just incorporated into the dough. Do not over work the dough; handle it only enough so that the dough stays together.
Form the dough into two rounds about an inch thick.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for about a half hour.
Roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds with 4 inch cutter. Fit into muffin cups. Chill in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the filling. Cold pastry heading into a hot oven will always be flakier.
To make the filling
Combine all filling ingredients except raisins, chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.
Mix well.
Sprinkle raisins, chocolate chips, pecans and coconut evenly in the bottom of the pastry lined muffin cups.
Fill ⅔ full with syrup mixture.
Bake on bottom shelf of oven at 425 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack and remove tarts from from pans.
Recipe Notes
Notes There is considerable debate about whether the filling in a butter tart should be runny or firm. Preferences vary, especially geographically but if you want a firmer, less runny filling simply add an additional egg, increase the brown sugar to ¾ cup and decrease the corn syrup to ¼ cup.