To make the filling: Fill the bottom of a double boiler (see Sugar Mommas Notes) with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the whole eggs and yolks in the top of the double boiler off the heat. Beat gently with a fork or whisk until the whites and yolks are thoroughly mixed. Place the top of the double boiler back in place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, watching the eggs carefully so that they don’t start to curdle (see Sugar Mommas Notes).

Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is the consistency of mayonnaise. This takes 10 minutes or so, and you do need to let it sit for a minute or two without stirring or it won’t thicken. You can see it thicken around the rim of the double boiler. Remove from the heat and let set for 5 minutes.

Pour the filling into a glass bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap across the surface (so a skin doesn’t form) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Fill the tart shells with the filling and serve. The filling will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator if you dare (Momma Reiner would eat it within an hour) for up to 2 weeks. The shells can be frozen for uo to 1 month. Leftover assembled tartlets will keep, covered, in the refrigertator for a few days.

“If the recipe says, “Serve
immediately,” I’m afraid I will
have to turn the page.”

           —CATHERINE WATSON

Sugar Mommas Meringue Topping

4 egg whites (reserved from making the shells and filling)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and vanilla, and mix until the whites are glossy, about 1 minute. Place 36 lemon tartlets (or less, if you do not wish to top them all) on a baking sheet and spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of meringue over the top of each. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly browned.

SUGAR MOMMAS TIPS

sugar mommas notes: You may use a pointed knife edge to help loosen the tart shells from their molds, then turn the pan over on parchment paper and use a knife to gently tap the bottom. The mini crusts should pop right out.

If you don’t have a double boiler, you may use a metal bowl nestled in a pot of boiling water (the water should remain at least 2 inches below the bottom of the bowl).

If your eggs scramble a little in the double boiler, do not fret. Use a spatula to push the filling through a fine-mesh strainer before serving to remove any little bits of egg so that it has a smooth consistency.

modern variation: Use the leftover egg whites to make a meringue topping, or use whipped topping. Put the meringue or whipped topping on some, but not all, of the tartlets. That way you’ll create a little diversity in your display.

sass it up: If you’re using meringue or whipped topping, place a single red raspberry on top to add color. Drizzle Cardinal Sauce (page 53) on the dessert plate if you are preparing individual servings.

Ooey-Gooey Butter Tarts

Submitted by Helen Pisani
From her grandmother Margaret Mae Taylor’s recipe, Jeanette’s Creek, Ontario

In the late nineteenth century, Margaret Taylor lived on a farm in Ontario. With potatoes, wheat, corn, and oats among their crops, the Taylors required a lot of help from local laborers. This meant a number of mouths to feed. Margaret’s daughter Gladys was born in 1913, and when she was old enough, she helped her mother bake pies from sunup to sundown to feed the farmhands. There were no modern amenities like dishwashers and microwaves, so the job involved long hours and arduous work.

Gladys eventually had a daughter, Helen, and they lived in Jeanette’s Creek across the field, “maybe 30 rows of potatoes,” from Margaret’s house until Helen was married. As a girl, Helen remembers seeing these freshly made pastries sitting on a platter in her grandmother’s kitchen waiting to be eaten. She would sneak off with one, and sit on the back step secretly enjoying all that sweet dripping goo. Gladys would occasionally catch her and just laugh. How could she resist?

You can’t begin to understand how otherworldly these tarts are until you taste them. Momma Jenna says these are the pièce de résistance. After putting her son to bed, she loves to snuggle on the couch with her cats, a cup of hot tea or tall glass of milk, and a plate full of butter tarts. Her husband snatches one at his own risk. Momma Reiner likens the tarts to sticky buns on steroids. The crust is light and flaky, filled with warm caramel goop. JoJo, our student carpool taste-tester, claims they taste like crème brûlée crossed with pecan pie.

Momma Reiner likens the tarts to
sticky buns on steroids.

Ooey-Gooey Butter Tarts

MAKES 12 TO 14 TARTS

TART SHELLS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter, cold

¼ cup vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

¼ cup minus 1 teaspoon ice-cold water

FILLING

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

1 large egg

½ cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup raisins (optional)

Personal time to enjoy these tarts undisturbed

To make the tart shells: Place the flour, salt, butter, and vegetable shortening in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 10 times, until the mixture resembles small peas. Place the vinegar in a measuring cup, then add the ice water until you reach ¼ cup total. Add the vinegar mixture to the processor by the spoonful while pulsing until the mixture holds together. If the dough mixture does not flake in your hands, add extra shortening (but not more than an additional ¼ cup) to achieve the proper flaky consistency. Carefully turn out the dough onto parchment paper and shape it into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is about ¼ inch thick. Using a cup or small bowl as a stencil, cut twelve to fourteen 4-inch circles. Use a spatula to gently lift each circle, then press the dough into a standard muffin cup. Flute or crimp the edges. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well combined. Mix in the egg and blend until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and nutmeg, one at a time, and mix until all the brown sugar clumps have broken up and you have a smooth syrup. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the pecans, and raisins, if desired. Fill the tart shells three-quarters full. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is light brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Momma Jenna leaves out the raisins and pecans and any
other “foreign objects,” so that nothing disrupts her pure,
unadulterated goo experience. Her husband has also been
notified that swiping the last butter tart is grounds for
jewelry-bearing apologies.

SUGAR MOMMAS TIPS

sugar mommas note: These tarts freeze well and are delicious to eat partially frozen. Helen calls them Icy Cold Goo.

carpool crunch: Use French Picnic pre-made frozen pie pastry (organic flour, pure butter, no preservatives) for the crust in this recipe. It comes in the form of flat, round circles—no need to roll them out.

old school: These tart shells were originally made with lard instead of shortening.