Gooey Butter Tarts

Yields: 12

Cooking Time: 12 min

Ingredients

• 1 ¹/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¹/4 teaspoon salt
• ¹/4 cup cold butter; cubed
• ¹/4 cup shortening; cubed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• ice water
• ¹/2 cup packed brown sugar
• ¹/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• ¹/4 cup currants, raisins or chopped pecans

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine flour with salt with pastry blender or 2 knives.
    
2. Cut in cubed butter and shortening until in fine crumbs.
    
3. In 1-cup liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup.
    
4. Gradually sprinkle egg mixture over flour mixture, stirring briskly with fork until pastry holds together.
    
5. Press into disc; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled or for up to 3 days.

Filling

1. In bowl, vigorously whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, softened butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt.  Set aside.
    
2. On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8-inch thickness.
    
3. Using 4-inch round cookie cutter (or empty 28-ounce can), cut out 12 circles, rerolling scraps, if necessary.
    
4. Fit circles into 2-3/4-x 1-1/4-inch muffin cups.
    
5. Divide currants among pastry shells.
    
6. Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.
    
7. Bake in bottom of 450F-degree oven for about 12 minutes or filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden.
    
8. Let stand on rack for 1 minute. Run metal spatula around tarts to loosen; carefully slide spatula under tarts and transfer to rack to let cool.

Notes

Variations:

• Chocolate Gooey Butter Tarts
  • Drizzle cooled tarts with 2 ounces of melted semisweet or white chocolate.
     
• Not-So-Gooey Butter Tarts
  • Increase brown sugar to 3/4 cup; decrease corn syrup to 1/4 cup.

ps- I'll be away for a month, so take care, best wishes to all in advance for the festive season, Those interested in health & cancer related topics can view my blog


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