Butter Tarts

Tiny bite size buttery tarts that are easy to prepare and well worth the trouble. I listened to Brooks and Dunn and drank a cup of herbal tea with my husband and dog hoovering about impatiently anticipating the timer going off.

Butter Tarts, adapted from Stephanie Jaworski's recipe

• 1 1/4 all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• 1/8 cup ice water
  

The Crust - In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup ice cold water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using.

Remove from the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and cut into 12 - 4 inch rounds. Gently place the rounds into a muffin tin. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up the dough. Next, make the filling.

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light cream (half and half)
  

Filling - In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla extract. Stir in the cream. Fill each crust with approximately 1/8 cup filling and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and continue cooling. Serve warm or cold.

Sour Cream Pressed Butter Cookies

These are the best pressed cookies! I came back from The Netherlands spoiled by the custom of having a tiny, delicious cookie served with my tea and coffee. I have been on a search for the perfect recipe and found it! Music choice for these melt in your mouth cookies was: Yo Yo Ma, playing Ennio Marricone, a soulful and moving album which pulls your heart strings.

1. Quick-n-Easy
   

Sour Cream Pressed Butter Cookies

• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 3/4 cup flour, sifted twice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, sea salt and baking soda. Then gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, wipe bowl and beaters and blend well. Take out your "Wilton, Cookie Pro Ultra II" Cookie Press and fill with room temperature cookie dough. On an ungreased cookie sheet, press out your cookies and bake for 6 minutes, let cool for a couple of minutes and remove to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before icing. Hint: I tried many ways to achieve success with the cookie press, this way sounds silly, but it works. The Wilton cookie press is easy to use, it costs $20.00 at Bed, Bath and Beyond and it has an easy to use trigger that saves your hands from getting tired!!

Load up the clear barrel, choose your design, press the handle (it clicks) until the air is out of the barrel. Place the press onto your cookie sheet, pull the trigger one click, count 3 or 4 seconds, lift the press and magically there are your miniature cookies. Once you get the hang of this you will love the process. Quick and easy formed cookies!! Eat now or decorate and eat later.