Butter tarts taste good, and won’t boil over

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/03/2009 (6425 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today’s column fills two dessert requests from readers.

Mary Beck of Stonewall had asked for readers’ help to locate a recipe called never-boil-over butter tarts. Thanks to Dorothy Parry, Catherine Stachnyk, France Cewick, Pat Sobotkiewicz, Joyce Scanlon, Anna Kidd, Florence Rebenchuk, Emily Lucko, Mildred Hamilton, Lydia Janzen, Barb Spriggs, Signy Stokes, Penny Wakun, Sylvia Moloney, Arline Botham and Linda Snider of Glenboro. The recipe Mary wanted is reprinted today, and several readers wrote that it is originally from a CJOB Pot Luck with Peter Grant cookbook and was contributed by a radio listener.

Helen Schmautz was looking for a raisin oat cake recipe that after baking is put back in the oven to toast a coconut topping. Thanks to Doreen Dick, who supplied the recipe that follows, and also to Barbara Johnston, Mildred Hamilton, Anne Vivier and Lorraine Best of Beausejour for their recipes.

A new request to fill comes from Claire Steen who asks if anyone has a recipe that can duplicate the African peanut soup served at Prairie Ink at McNally Robinson. It is a vegetarian pureed soup made with vegetable broth, yams, peanut butter, onions, carrots and celery, and Claire writes that is the spicy yet sweet seasoning that makes the soup special.

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you’d like to share, send an e-mail to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number. Recipes may not appear right away due to limited space.

 

Never-boil-over butter tarts

2 eggs

250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) corn syrup

60 ml (2 oz) melted butter

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

10 ml (2 tsp) vinegar

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

Raisins or currants

Put all ingredients (except raisins or currants) in a bowl and beat until full of bubbles. Place six raisins or currants in the bottom of each shell. Fill tart shells with mixture and bake at 205 C (400 F) for 20 minutes. They will never boil over.

Taste Tester Notes: This makes a very good butter tart filling. I rolled my pastry into 4-inch rounds and placed into a muffin pan to make 12 tart shells that I filled quite full (and they did not boil over).

 

Oatmeal cake

250 ml (1 cup) quick oatmeal

310 ml (1 1/4 cups) boiling water

125 ml (1/2 cup) shortening

250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar

250 ml (1 cup) white sugar

2 eggs

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) flour

5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda

5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon

250 ml (1 cup) raisins

 

Topping

125 ml (1/2 cup) brown sugar

80 ml (1/3 cup) soft butter

60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

250 ml (1 cup) coconut

125 ml (1/2 cup) nuts, optional

 

Combine oatmeal and boiling water and let stand 20 minutes.

Cream together shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add oatmeal mixture and beat well.

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in raisins. Pour into greased 9 x13-inch pan. Bake at 175 C (350 F) for 35 minutes or until done. Check with toothpick. Topping: mix and spread on cake. Return to oven and broil for 2 – 4 minutes until brown.

Taste Tester Notes: This makes a very moist and very good cake. As soon as the cake is baked, spread topping on as evenly as you can and immediately return to oven to broil. I used 250 ml (1 cup) coarsely chopped pecans in the topping. The topping ingredients will bubble together under the broiler. Watch carefully while broiling to ensure topping does not burn.