Currant Tarts Recipes

BEST RAISIN CURRANT BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl; cut in the shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the flour mixture is moistened. When you squeeze a handful of the moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray 36 muffin cups with cooking spray.
• Roll pastry out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds; press rounds into the bottom and up sides of muffin cups to make tart shells.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract just until combined. Stir raisins and currants into butter mixture; fill tart shells with mixture 2/3-full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes; leaving oven closed, reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and bake until filling is bubbly and pastry is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

RED CURRANT PIE

Steps:

• To Make Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Mix in butter, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest until mixture forms dough. Let rest in cool place for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll out dough and put into a springform pan.
• Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until golden yellow.
• To Make Filling: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually stir in sugar and cornstarch; beat for 5 minutes. Fold currants into mixture and pour into pie crust.
• Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

BUTTER TARTS (WITH CURRANTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Double pie crust recipe can be used for tart shells.
• Cut pie crust into circles (use a glass or biscuit cutter). Press into buttered muffin tin.
• Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir in currants and egg yolk. Add beaten egg white and mix well.
• Use 1 1/2 scant teaspoons of filling for each tart to avoid overflow. Bake until filling is foamy and crust is brown, aprox. 12-15 minutes.
• Makes 2 dozen.

CURRANT TART

Steps:

• Combine currants and Port in small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 400°F. Press out crust on lightly floured work surface to remove creases. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with aluminum foil. Fill foil-lined crust with dried beans or pie weights and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans from crusts. Bake crust until pale golden, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in medium bowl until combined. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in currant mixture. Spoon filling into crust. Bake until filling is golden brown, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 15 minutes. Remove tart from pan. Cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pass whipped cream if desired.

REDCURRANT TART

Steps:

• Pre-cook two of the egg yolks in boiling water and allow to cool.
• Work the flour, margarine, sugar, pre-boiled yolks and remaining three yolks into a thick pastry mass.
• Turn into a greased, floured flan tin and bake slowly, 160C / fan140C / gas 3, for 45 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool fully
• Fill the cooled base with the red currants.
• Beat the egg whites into a stiff foam and gently fold in the sugar. Spread the meringue mix over the red currants and bake at 200C / fan 180C / gas 6 until the peaks are browned. Then serve.

RED CURRANT AND LEMON TARTLETS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 10 rounds with a 4-inch cutter. Fit into 3 1/2-inch round tart pans. Using scissors or a sharp paring knife, trim pastry even with edge of tart pans. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick pastry all over with the tines of a fork. Line pastry with parchment rounds; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until pastry begins to color around the edges 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights, and continue to bake just until the pastry dries out and turns golden, 10 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
• Fill half of each tart shell with lemon curd, and the other side with currant curd. Smooth the top flush with edge of tart shell.
• Pipe meringue onto tarts using a 3/8-inch star tip to completely cover. Preheat broiler. Place tarts under broiler and broil until golden brown, alternatively, you can use a hand-held propane torch.
• Place each tart on a serving plate. Serve with raspberry sauce, and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds.

YORKSHIRE CURD TART

Steps:

• Make the curd the night before. Heat the milk in a large pan. As it comes to a gentle simmer, add the lemon juice. Turn the heat to low and gently stir while the curds form. Do not stir too quickly or you will break up the curds. Once the mixture resembles watery liquid with creamy lumps in it, remove the pan from the heat and allow the curds to cool in the whey. Drain the curds overnight through a clean tea towel and save the whey for making scones, as you would buttermilk.
• To make the pastry, blend the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the butter is almost all combined - leave a few small lumps of butter to lighten the dough. Tip the dry mix onto a work surface and make a well in the centre. Add a little cold water to make a smooth, but not sticky dough. As soon as the mixture comes together, knead very lightly, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 mins. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and chilled.
• To finish the filling, beat the butter and sugar until soft, then add the egg, a little bit at a time. Add the curds to the mixture and lightly whisk to break up any large lumps. Once blended, add the currants.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry to line a greased 20cm shallow pie dish or tart tin. Spread over the curd mix and bake for 35-40 mins until browned and the pastry is cooked. Leave to cool, then cut into slices and serve on its own or with a drizzle of cream.

CURRANT TARTS

Steps:

• To Make the Filling:.
• Wash the currants and drain them.
• Stir the sugar and butter together well. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the currants.
• To Make the Pastry:.
• Mix the flour and salt together.
• Cut the lard into the flour and salt until the consistency is like crumbs. Gradually add enough of the water to make the dough hold together, and form it into a ball.
• Roll out the dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter and fit into muffin tins (regular size, not mini).
• To Assemble & Bake:.
• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• Put a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the filling into each unbaked tart shell.
• Bake @ 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and golden and crust is done. (Don't overbake - the filling should not be too brown or crispy.).