Diary of a Dying Nation (@DiaryofaDyingNation)

Butter Tarts You’ll need a 12-cup muffin tin and an 11cm round pastry cutter. As with all baking, it pays to be precise, so I always weigh out the ingredients, rather than measure by volum For the pastry 200g plain flour ⅘ tsp (5g) fine salt 60g cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing 50g cold lard or vegetable shortening, cubed 1 egg yolk 1 tsp (5g) white vinegar For the filling 35g currants 115g light brown sugar ⅔ tsp (4g) salt 105g maple syrup 1 tsp (5g) vanilla paste 60g butter, melted 1 egg Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl, add the cubed and lard, and work the mix between your fingertips until it comes together into pea-sized pieces. In a small bowl, mix 60g ice-cold water with the egg yolk and vinegar, then tip into the flour mixture and combine with a fork. Using your hands, press the mix with your hands a few times, just until it comes together into a ball, then shape the dough into a thick, flat rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the chilled dough into a large, roughly 5mm-thick rectangle, then use an 11cm-diameter cutter to cut out 12 rounds – you will need to re-roll and cut the scraps to make 12. Gently press the rounds into the cups of a greased 12-hole muffin tin, then chill again for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 230C (220C fan)/450F/gas 8, and in the meantime make the filling. Soak the currants in warm water for at least half an hour, to plump up. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, salt, syrup, vanilla and melted butter with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg. Drain the currants and drop them evenly into the chilled pastry shells. Divide the filling mix evenly between the 12 tart shells, filling each one by about halfway, then bake for eight minutes. Turn down the heat to 200C (190C fan)/400F/gas 6 and bake for seven minutes more, until the pastry is golden and the filling has puffed up. Take the tin out of the oven, put it on a rack to cool for three minutes, then slip out the tarts and put on the rack to cool enough to eat and to give the filling time to set. #Side #Snack #ButterTarts https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/jun/29/butter-tarts-tourtiere-pie-recipes-jonny-lake-canada-day