Murray Bakes Bourbon Bacon Butter Tarts

My absolute favourite alcohol to bake with is bourbon. There are so many different types of bourbon available; read about the ingredients, read reviews about the flavours and have fun adding it to your bakes.  I have made various baked treats over the past few years incorporating bourbon. In my personal opinion , the extra ingredient to bring the flavour over the top… BACON!

Remember, turn up your tunes, pour yourself a drink, and bake!

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Ingredients for all-butter pastry

• 2 1/2 cups (335 g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 cup (225 g) cold butter, cubed

• 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water

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Directions for pastry

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add half of the cold, cubed butter and rub the butter and flour between your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. Add the second half of the cubed butter and rub in into the flour, but leave it in larger pieces (approximately the size of your thumbnail). Add four tablespoons of water and mix the dough together until uniform. Gradually add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand.
• Place the dough on parchment paper and use the paper to press the dough into a disk. To make the dough uniform, fold the dough in half, using the paper. Press down and fold in the opposite direction. Repeat until the dough appears uniform. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least a half hour (or up to 2-3 days).
• Roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds with 4 inch cutter. Fit into muffin cups. Chill in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the filling. Cold pastry heading into a hot oven will always be flakier.

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Ingredients for the filling

• 3/4 cup (150 g) lightly packed brown sugar

• 1/4  cup corn syrup

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon

• 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup raisins, or pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips

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Directions for butter tarts

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Combine all filling ingredients except raisins and bacon. Mix well.
• Sprinkle raisins (or substitutes) and bacon in a single layer in the bottom of the pastry lined muffin cups.
• Fill 2/3 full with syrup mixture.
• Bake on bottom shelf of oven at for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pastry edges are golden and filling begins to bubble.
• Cool completely on a wire rack and remove tarts from pans.