Aunt Thelma’s Tarts

I thought I would start cooking on a certain day and have a funny name for it, What's Cooking Wednesday, That's Delicious Thursday, but heck I can't even always choose a special day for other things, remember Technique Tuesday? Ha!! So it will be random just like everything else…I like to keep you guessing…ha!

I mentioned a while ago that I wanted to make tarts cause I have Granny's old tart mold things. I can't find the post I talked about it but I know I did.  

These are my precious tart molds that were Granny's.  If they could only talk, they sure were well used and loved. They are one of my treasures. 

So the other day I got all my ingredients out and made them.  The recipe for the tarts is from my Aunt Thelma, here is a picture of her and I. I think it was the day I was Christened because there was a few pictures of different people holding me in the same outfit. So that is what I am going with unless when Mum reads my blog and corrects me.

I remember Aunt Thelma as being such a sweet and kind lady and boy could she bake. I can't remember how old I was when she passed away but I was old enough to have the memory of her funeral and I think it might have been the first funeral I ever went to.  I just remember thinking that she would never bake her chocolate chip cookies again, and that made me start to cry. Isn't that a funny memory to have?

Anyway back to the baking…

I'm being all professional like and laying out my ingredients.

Before I could make Aunt Thelma's tarts I had to make the pastry, and this is Granny's recipe. I put the softened shortening into the flour and used the pastry blender dealie to get it to course meal consistency, if you don't have a pastry blender you can use two knives and just keep cutting into the flour and shortening.

This is what you want it to look like. Then you will add the cold water.  I put ice cubes and water in a dish and let it get really cold till I need it. 

This is after adding the cold water, and mixing it up.

We have a tile counter so I have to use this old plastic thing to roll my dough out on, if anyone has a different idea, let me know…this thing has seen better days.  Roll the dough out with the rolling pin and you'll need to flour it so the dough does not stick.

After I rolled it out I used this nut chopper/biscuit cutter thing…we got it for our wedding almost 27 years ago, our Anniversary is in a few days. The shape was pretty close to the tart mold and then I just pushed the dough around to fill the mold.

I have 15 molds so that is how many I did.  I had some of the dough left over so I did what Granny always did, she flattened it out added cinnamon and sugar and baked it.

Granny's was better, I might have needed to make the dough thinner and more sugar and cinnamon, maybe butter it more? Will have to ask her.

So then it was on to making the tart filling.

That was quick, basically just adding the ingredients together, and then spooning it into the tart shells.

There they are all ready to go into the oven.  Please tell me your cookie sheets look as bad as mine. I was not sure if I was to put them on the cookie sheet to cook, cause really would I put each one individually on the oven rack?  Anyone? Beuhller? Betty Crocker?

It doesn't take long for me to have a mess on the counter, just like when I am stamping…ha!

All done! Yum, don't you wish you had a scratch and sniff computer screen? It took longer to cook then the recipe said but I am not sure if it is cause of the cookie sheet, I was trying to get the tart shells to brown up and they never really did. Next time I won't cook them as long.  They were not burned but I seem to remember Granny's being runnier (that is where I will adjust the butter).

Of course I had to have one right away…here's something you probably didn't know about me.  I eat my tarts with a spoon. I like to eat the inside first and then the pastry last. That is why there is a spoon on the plate. I also had my glass of milk in my fun glass from cruise. It says +one, so it is not pictured, but I ate another tart after this one…ha!

Mouth watering yet?

Now to eat the crust.

Good to the last crumb!

Even the guys were happy when they got home from work.

Jeff gobbled his down.

Eric inhaled his…ha!

Maybe I should tell you the recipe now eh?  

Granny's Pastry – (this is what I use for pies too)

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cups lard or shortening ( I use shortening)

4 -5 tablespoons cold water – I always do 4 and then mix it up and decide if I need to add more.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, with a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the consistency of course meal with a few larger pieces.  Add the water, one tablespoon at a time until dough clings together and cleans easily from the bowl. Chill until ready to use. Roll it out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. (if you use this recipe for pies it says it will make two crusts, but I must make my crust too thick cause I get one with some left over.)

Aunt Thelma's Tarts

1 cup brown sugar

2 well beaten eggs

some butter softened, about the size of an egg – (yes that is how the recipe is written), I used 3 tbsp, but I think it should have been 4 tbsp.

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

1/3 cup coconut

a few chopped walnuts or pecans

tart pastry shells

Mix well and put into tart shells.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, may take longer as dough in middle tends to take longer to cook. May have to eat one to get it right…ha!

Let me know if you try them. I hope they make you smile. Maybe my Aunt Thelma will be watching over you. I like to think she was when I was baking them.

Well this post has been long enough, you are probably like ready for me to shut up…so I will.

Have an awesome Friday and thanks for stopping in each day, I appreciate it so very much! Mwah!