DIY Christmas 2012 with Raelyn Barclay

Raelyn is like the Martha Stewart of Nevada. Yes. She is that good!

Note the theme. Yesterday, Mike Keyton gave us a home-food British recipe with currants. I love raisins in all their forms.

Butter Tarts a la Raelyn Barclay

Cakes are delicious. Cookies are scrumptious. For me, it's all about the pastries. You know, pies and tarts and anything involving a crust.

These bite-sized treats are a tradition in our house. Both sides of my family have a version they swear by. The only difference seems to be one side uses golden raisins while the other uses currants. I prefer the version with currants.

Butter Tarts

Roll out uncooked pastry dough and line tart tins, then set aside. You can use muffins tins in a pinch.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir 3/4 cups of brown sugar into the butter, mixing well. Add an egg and stir slowly till well blended. Don't beat. Add a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream (at least half-n-half, I prefer a whipping cream), 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt (this can be omitted), and 1/2 cup of currants.

Pour into unbaked tart shells and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or till brown. Makes about 12 large (muffin) or 24 mini tarts.

You can store these in the cookie jar for a few days...if they last that long! Or freeze them in a single layer, then bag. To thaw, just set out on the counter for 15 minutes or so. They even ship well if you are so inclined to send your baked goodies as a gift.

Of course, Santa loves seeing these on his plate.

How about you, what is your must have holiday treat?

Bio: Raelyn Barclay is an aspiring romance author who believes anything is possible in love and everyone needs a happily-ever-after. By day she tries to keep up with four sonic whirlwinds and dreams of a clean bathroom in heaven. In the wee hours of the morning and in the quiet of the night Raelyn hones her craft with an eye on seeing her name in print. She, her husband, and the wee beasties live in Nevada where scorpion hunting is a sport. You can find Raelyn on her blog.

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Don't forget, you can leave a comment on any previous DIY Christmas 2012 post for a chance to win the prize on that post. Who knows? You might get lucky.

Other DIY posts from:

Shelley Munro
Cathy Pegau
Gwen Gardner

Marianne Arkins  

Barbara Wright

Sarah Ahiers 
Mike Keyton

There are more great posts to come. All contests end December 21, 2012.