From Coffee, Cake and Chocolate via Design CrushI have always been a fan of an old family favorite known to me as Butter Tarts. However, I have often wondered if they could be even better without the raisins. (I know, I know. You'd hate to have an ounce of anything remotely healthy added to an indulgence, right?) When I stumbled across these, I knew I must try them at some point this holiday season. They look and sound devine...
Caramel Tarts
Pastry
1½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
125g cold butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsps iced water
Caramel
395g can sweetened condensed milk
75g butter
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsps golden syrup
3-4 tbsps flaked almonds to decorate
To make the pastry, place the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and process for 20-30 seconds until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk, vanilla essence and water and pulse until mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To make the caramel, put all the ingredients in a saucepan (except almonds!) and stir over a medium heat until combined.
When ready to bake, spray 2 Texan muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (or whatever size muffin pans you have). preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 2-3 mm thick. Using a 9cm cutter, cut 12 rounds from the pastry and press them gently into the bottom of the muffin pans. The pastry should come up the sides about 1cm. If using smaller pans, adjust the size of the rounds accordingly.
Spoon the caramel into the pastry shells, filling almost to the top. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake in the lower part of the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden. they may need a shorter cooking time if using smaller pans. Cool for 10 mins before lifting out onto a cooling rack.
Source: Foodtown magazine, June/July 2008
