Butter Tarts

Not only did our friend, Georgie, give us the delicious Kidney Bean Casserole, but she also gave us these delectable little treats. Make a double batch because they'll go quickly! Butter, brown sugar, what's not to love???


1 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 recipe for Easy Pie Crust, or use any store bought unbaked pie crust pastry


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place raisins in a small bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Set aside until they soften, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and stir until well combined. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Drain raisins well and add to mixture.
Roll out one pie crust. (If using store bought crust, store second pie crust in freezer) Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut circles about 4 inches in diameter. Collect scraps and roll out again. Continue cutting circles and re rolling until all pastry is used. Press pastry circles into muffin tins, making sure to go all the way up the sides. Fill each tart halfway with filling. Bake for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes.

Tip:
I usually omit the lemon juice because I think the tart lemon flavor competes a little bit with the buttery brown sugar flavor. Then again, some people say that's their favorite thing, so go figure. This is a perfect example of using a recipe as a mere guideline and adjusting it to suit your own personal tastes.
Oh, by the way, you can also make these in mini muffin tins!