Cinnamon Raisin Butter Tarts are a delicious and indulgent treat that are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth. These tarts are made with a flaky pastry crust that is filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and studded with plump, juicy California raisins. The combination of the rich, buttery filling and the sweet, spicy cinnamon is truly heavenly, and the addition of the raisins adds a lovely texture and flavor to the tarts. Whether you’re a fan of cinnamon or just love a good butter tart, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Ingredients
For the pastry dough:
- 21/4 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 Cup very cold salted butter, cubed
- 5 Tablespoons very cold ice water
Procedure
Make the pastry dough
Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade. Pulse 5 times to blend.
Add the cubed cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Slowly add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between each addition, until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Spray a standard muffin pan with baking spray and then flour each well. Set aside.
After chilling, roll the dough out with a lightly floured rolling pin on a floured surface until 1/8-inch thick. Use a square-shaped cookie cutter that is approximately 4×4-inches to cut out 12 squares. Alternatively, you can use a knife and a ruler for this.
You will have some dough left over. It can be made into decorative pieces for the tops of the tarts or can be refrigerated or frozen for use at a later time.
Place a square of dough down into each prepared well. Once all of the wells are filled refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes.
For the cinnamon raisin filling:
- 3/4 Cup California raisins
- 1/4 Cup melted salted butter
- 1/2 Cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup light corn syrup
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Make the cinnamon raisin filling:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a small bowl, cover the raisins with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes.
Drain the raisins. Then combine them with the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well.
Divide this mixture by the tablespoon-full between the 12 chilled tart shells.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the filling has bubbled up similar to the filling of a pecan pie and the pastry has lightly browned.
Cool in the pan.
Cinnamon Raisin Butter Tarts should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated; they will keep for up to five days in the fridge.