Ooey Gooey Butter Tarts

Forget the pecan tarts or pie, just bring on the butter tarts! Here is a gooey delicious Canadian treat that's been in our family for generations. All it needs is a good pastry crust that flakes when you cut into it, and a delicious blend of ingredients for a gooey filling. Delicious! You'll want to double the recipe.
Note: If you want to use pre-made frozen pastry shells that you can purchase at the grocery store, those work just fine and cut down part of the preparation time.

Canadian Butter Tarts

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1 egg
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup corn syrup (depending on your favorite degree of gooieness)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins 

1/2 cup walnuts

PREPARATION:
Pastry

1. Blend the shortening and the flour with a pastry cutter, or two knives, until you’ve created a uniform mixture that is crumbly and about the size of frozen peas.
2. In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg, 1 tbsp white vinegar and 2 tbsp cold water. Add to shortening and flour mixture.
3. Mix all ingredients together, but only until just mixed and no more.

The key to flaky pastry is not to overhandle the dough.

For ease of handling, make a ball of the dough, wrap in cellophane and place in freezer for 10-15 mins or refrigerate for approximately an hour. Roll out dough onto floured surface to thickness of about 1/4 inch (thin enough to handle but not too fragile).
Using either a cookie cutter, large biscuit cutter or jar lid, cut out circles from the dough. Circles should be about twice the size of the cups in your muffin pans. Press dough circles into a muffin pan and crimp on the edges. 

Filling

1. In another bowl, mix well corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and egg. Add vanilla and stir in raisins.
2. Spoon filling into pastry shell to just below the rim. 
3. Bake at 400 for about 10 mins until golden brown. You want it bubbling but not burnt

Makes about a dozen tarts.