Austin Butter Tarts

This is my mother’s recipe, passed down to her from her grandmother, Granny Austin. It is always made with currants, and never anything else.

Pastry

• 2-½ cups flour

• 1 cup shortening

• Pinch salt

• Ice water (enough to bind)

  1. Cut shortening into flour.

  2. Add ice water (approximately ½ cup).

  3. Mix with fork.

  4. Roll out.

  5. Prick and bake in a muffin tin, unfilled, at 450° F for 12 minutes.

Filling

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup soft butter

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup currants

• 2 tablespoons sweet or sour cream

  1. Mix together the filling ingredients.

  2. Bake in the pastry-filled muffin tin at 400° F for about 25 minutes.

van der Heyden Butter Tarts

This is my aunt’s recipe, passed down to her from her mother, Pat van der Heyden. It is usually without additions, but can have roasted nuts, chocolate chips, or raisins.

Filling

• ⅔ cup softened butter

• 3 cups brown sugar

• 3 cups corn syrup

• 12 eggs

Cream together butter and sugar. Add corn syrup, then eggs. Mix well together. Using your favorite pastry recipe, roll out and cut into suitable size for your tart, like a muffin tin. Using a fork, prick holes into the bottom of each pastry. Ladle in butter tart filling. Bake at 400° F for 21 minutes (or thereabouts).

Options:

• Roasted nuts

• Chocolate chips

• Raisins

Pastry

• 6 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 cups shortening (Karin uses Crisco; her mother used lard)

• 2 eggs

• Splash of vinegar plus 2 cups cold water

Mix flour with shortening, leave it somewhat lumpy. Whisk eggs, add vinegar and water. Add wet to dry until you get a workable consistency. Freeze any unused pastry in plastic for next time.