In a medium mixing bowl add the brown sugar, vanilla, soft butter and eggs. Mix until well blended. Set aside

In another bowl add the flour and the shorting. Mix with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles small peas. 

Slowly add the cold water and gently mix until combined.

Roll out on floured surface until dough is 1/8" thick

Using the edge of a ⅓ cup for mini tarts and the edge of a 1 cup for larger tart cut out circles of dough and place into muffin tins.

With muffin tins prepared, use a tablespoon scoop 1 tbsp. of filling into the mini tarts and 2-2 ½ tbsp into the regular tarts.

Once all tarts are filled with the filling, place into oven for 15-20 minutes or until the filling starts to bubble.

Let tarts cool for ten minutes before removing from the muffin tins and cooling completely on a cooling rack.