Cape Breton Christmas Tarts
These tiny tarts are a favorite at Christmas. How these tarts got their name is a mystery — it could be at one time pork fat was used instead of butter or it may well reflect the wonderful sense of humor of the folks of Cape Breton.
These tiny tarts are a favorite at Christmas. How these tarts got their name is a mystery — it could be at one time pork fat was used instead of butter or it may well reflect the wonderful sense of humor of the folks of Cape Breton.
Yield:
48 tartsCape Breton Pork Pies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
4 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
2 cups flour
Instructions
Tart Shell: Cut the butter into the flour and confectioners’ sugar, and knead until well blended. Press with your thumb, a small amount of dough into small muffin tins or tart pan. Bake in a 425 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. Cool, and fill with the date filling.
Date Filling
Ingredients
2 cups chopped dates
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
lemon juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Simmer the above ingredients until the dates are of soft consistency. Cool. Fill tart shells with a dollop each.
Topping
Ingredients
Top with butter icing or a dollop of brown sugar fudge
