Grandma Dot's Butter Tarts

Directions

1. Pastry
2. Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Work shortening into flour with hands or pastry cutter until about the size of peas. Add vinegar. Add ice-cold water by tablespoons until pastry comes together and you can form a ball.
3. Divide pastry into two balls, flatten, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove one of the pastry discs from the fridge (the other can be used for a pie crust, or you can double the filling recipe to make more tarts). Roll out the dough on a floured surface with floured rolling pin. Cut out circles with floured cutter or pint-glass and press into ungreased tart/muffin tins.

1. Filling
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Beat eggs only until yolks and whites are well blended. Beat in sugar and salt. Add vinegar and syrup. Mix well. Add melted butter. Mix to incorporate.
3. Add the fruit and nuts (you can skip this step entirely for plain butter tarts, or divide the filling and make different types of tarts by adding the raisins and currants to one half and the nuts to the other half).
4. Fill pastry-lined tins 1/3 to 1/2 full (do not overfill). Bake in a hot oven (450F) for the first 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is firm.