Butter Tarts

Copyright 2015 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I was fortunate enough to grab hold of organic pecans although it was more of a favor as my friend wanted me to bake pecan pie for her family. I didn't mind as I wanted to test if my pie recipes help up to the more humid climate here in the Philippines. I'm glad to say it held quite beautifully although it was not much of a big surprise as pecan pies are very popular in the Southern part of the USA which is also quite humid most time of the year.

Anyway, as with most recipes, I was left with about a half a cup of pecans that needed to be baked in one way or another. This led me to my go-to baking blog, the JoyofBaking. There was the perfect recipe for my leftover pecans in the form of butter tarts. In a word, it was scrumptious. 
   
Butter Tarts - Adapted*

Pastry Dough:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
pinch of salt
1/4 cup ice cold water

Filling:
1/3 unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped roughly

1. Prepare the pastry dough by sifting the flour, sugar and salt into a
    large bowl. Add the butter and with your hands, work the dough 
    until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

2. Slowly add the water until the dough comes together. Gather into a 
    ball and wrap with clingfilm. Store in the fridge for at least 30 
    minutes to allow the dough to rest. 

3. When the dough has rested, divide the dough into 10 equal parts and
    roll each portion onto a floured surface until you get a 4-inch disk. 

4. Lay each disk onto a cupcake pan and flute the edges if desired. Prick
    the bottom and the sides of the pastry disk with a fork and store in 
    the fridge until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

5. To prepare the filling, beat the butter with the sugar in a large bowl
    at high speed until creamy. Lower the speed to medium and add the 
    eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla
    extract and the cream.

6. Divide the nuts into the prepared pastry shells and pour in the filling.
    Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastry shell is golden brown 
    and the filling is puffed and set. 

7. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. 

*Joy of Baking - Butter Tarts