Butter Tarts

Our local Girls Scout hosted a cultural  fair and our troop was assigned England.  We spent a couple weeks researching and preparing.  We needed to provide a snack and a game or craft.  We chose butter tarts as a snack.  We made some with raisins and some without.  Most of the girls preferred no raisins.  Think mini pecan pie without the pecans.  Really yummy!

Butter Tarts(old family recipe)

Pastry:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

9 tablespoons ice water

Stir together dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Cut in shortening. Mix in ice water.  Pinch off 1 inch ball place in greased mini tart pan.  Use fingers or the Pampered Chef mini-tart shaper to shape the tart shell.

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Carefully spoon the filling into each tart shell, 1/2 full.  Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.  Let cool a few minutes, then gently loosen and remove from the pan.  Allow them to finish cooling on a rack.  Enjoy!