– recipe courtesy of Holly Crawford, Editor-in-Chief
Aunt Eileen's Butter Tarts
Butter Tart Filling
This is 1⁄4 of the original recipe and makes about two dozen tarts. Double as required.
4 eggs
1⁄4 cup butter
1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar (golden or yellow, not dark brown)
1 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla nuts or raisins, as desired
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add corn syrup, salt and vanilla and mix well. Beat eggs well in a small bowl. Add to filling and stir until well combined. Pour filling into prepared shells and bake at 350°F until golden. Mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated, just mix very well before using.
Pastry
This makes enough pastry for about three pies.
5 1⁄2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 lb (464 g) lard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten water
Mix together flour and salt. Add lard and mix until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. In a 1 cup measure stir together vinegar and egg. Add water to make 1 cup. Gradually stir liquid into the flour mixture. Add liquid just to make dough cling together. Gather into a ball and divide into two portions. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Roll out onto lightly floured surface and cut as desired. If the dough is sticking, return to the fridge to chill.