My Mom's Butter Tarts

My mom is from Canada, and a popular dessert in Canada is Butter Tarts. They are so delicious and you cannot find them in the USA. One of the key ingredients is starting out with my moms pastry passed down through the generations and it calls for lard. If you don't want to use lard, that is fine, but it will change the taste. I have tried many butter tarts while visiting Canada and I have never found one comparable in taste to my mom's recipe.

Mom’s Pastry

5 cups flour

1 pound lard

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

Mix the above 4 ingredients together in a large bowl, use fork to start then by hand (I use my Cuisinart mixer for the entire recipe and it does a fabulous job).

Beat 1 egg in a measuring cup

Add 2 tsp white vinegar

Then add water to make ¾ cup

Add to flour mixture and mix. Mix until lard is almost absorbed. Mixture will be very sticky. Roll into log and cut into 6 even pieces. Wrap in tin foil and freeze for at least 1 day. Thaw and roll out with lots of flour. 

Butter Tarts

Roll out pastry and cut pastry to fit muffin pan. Paper baking cups will help avoid sticking but if not using spray pan with non-stick spray.

Filling:

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup syrup (Use golden syrup, Cost-Plus has great stuff imported from England or Scotland).

3 tbs butter

Cream these 3 ingredients together.

1 egg beaten well

Add a little at a time to creamed mixture while beating.

½ tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp white vinegar

1/3 or ½ cup raisins

Spoon mixture into pastry cups.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, lower temp to 350 degrees and bake 12 minutes more.

Yields 15-18 tarts