When I’m feeling like a snack while working at Duchess Bake Shop, I often go for these. Flaky pie dough with a sweet, gooey centre... nothing beats an old-fashioned buttertart! I like mine with a few raisins, but feel free to leave them out if they aren’t to your taste.

EASY MIXER PIE DOUGH

Makes 3, 9-inch pie shells or 1 covered or lattice-top pie plus an extra shell. This recipe will make more than you need for our pie recipes. Pie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to six months. You can easily halve this recipe to make exactly what you need for one pie, but because pie dough freezes so well, I always like to make the full recipe and keep the extra dough in my freezer ready to go for when I need to make dessert in a pinch.

Equipment

You will need a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and a muffin tin.

Ingredients

  • 640 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, in ½ inch cubes, cold
  • 200 g (1 cup) vegetable shortening, in ½ inch cubes, cold
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 242 g (1 cup) ice water

Directions
 

  1. Place the flour, butter, shortening, and salt into a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until the fats are in small chunks and the mixture looks a bit dry. This should only take 10 to 15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice water all at once and mix on medium speed until the dough just comes together. Some small lumps of fat should remain in the dough.
  3. Shape the dough into three balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, making sure the dough is fully chilled before rolling out. At this point the dough can be frozen. Let it thaw completely before using it, but when you roll it out, be sure it’s still cold.
  4. Roll out the pie dough. Cut out 12 circles, each about 2 inches wider in diameter than an individual muffin cavity. You may need to re-roll the scraps to get all 12 circles.
  5. Line each cavity with a circle, pressing it gently into shape. You can leave the sides smooth or shape them like a four-leaf clover for a more decorative edge. Make sure the dough reaches the top of each muffin cavity to leave room for the filling to expand.

FILLING

Ingredients

  • 75 g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
  • 145 g (3/4 cup) firmly packed golden brown sugar
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) golden or dark corn syrup
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup Thompson raisins (optional)

Directions
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Melt the butter in a microwave for about 10 seconds, or until extremely soft and partially melted.
  3. Place the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until smooth.
  4. Place a few raisins in the bottom of each tart shell. Fill each cavity up halfway with filling.
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the centres have puffed up.
  6. Let the buttertarts cool completely in the muffin pan. Once cool, use a sharp knife to run around the edge of each buttertart and gently lift them out of the pan.

buttertarts

Storage: These buttertarts will keep at room temperature for up to four days.