Indulge in the delectable delight of Butter Tarts, a quintessential Canadian treat that embodies the perfect harmony of flavors and textures. Envision a buttery, flaky crust encasing a velvety smooth filling crafted from melted butter, sugar, eggs, and raisins, crowned with a sprinkle of nutmeg. This iconic dessert holds a special place in the hearts of Canadians, earning its status as a cherished tradition passed down through generations. Experience the diversity of Butter Tart recipes featured in this article, offering variations that cater to every palate. From the classic recipe that stays true to tradition to innovative renditions that incorporate unique ingredients and flavors, embark on a culinary journey that celebrates the versatility and enduring appeal of this beloved pastry.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
BUTTER TARTS
There may be no more perfectly satisfying treat than a Canadian butter tart. It is small and sweet, bracingly so, with hints of butterscotch and caramel. And each bite delivers three textures: flaky crust, chewy top, gooey center. While its exact origins may never be found, the tart became popular in Ontario in the early 20th century and spread across Canada thanks to its inclusion in the 1913 "Five Roses Cook Book." Today there are numerous variations. Runny or firm? Raisins or plain? This recipe can be adapted to please all partisans.
Provided by Sara Bonisteel
Categories easy, snack, pies and tarts, dessert
Time 45m
Yield 1 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Make the pastry: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, rub butter or lard into flour until mixture is in pea-size pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix water, egg yolk and vinegar until well combined. Add liquid to the flour mixture, using a fork to combine. Add 1 tablespoon more water if it looks dry.
- Knead dough several times by hand to bring it together and shape into a flat square. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, roll out the dough into a 16-inch-by-12-inch (40.5 centimeters by 30.5 centimeters) rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch (3 to 6 millimeters) thick. Flour the work surface and rolling pin as you work with the dough.
- Use a circular 4-inch (10 centimeter) cookie cutter (or a clean 28-ounce/496 milliliter can) to cut 12 pieces. Reroll dough if needed to cut more circles, but try to cut as many pieces on the first pass. With your fingertips, press each circle into the cup of a standard muffin tin, so that the edge of the dough is flush with the pan. Refrigerate while while you make the filling.
- In a bowl, cover raisins with hot tap water to plump. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Make the filling: In a bowl, mix brown sugar and salt, and then beat the butter into the sugar by hand until smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix until combined. Do not use an electric mixer; it will add too much air to the filling.
- Drain the raisins and place seven or eight raisins in each chilled tart shell.
- Divide the filling evenly among the tart shells, filling each one about halfway. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes for a runnier tart and 17 to 19 minutes for a firmer one.
- A few minutes after removing the tarts from the oven, run a knife or offset spatula around the edge of each tart to loosen. Let cool completely in the tin. To remove, run a butter knife or offset spatula around and under each tart to pop it out of the tin.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 177, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 12 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 100 milligrams, Sugar 18 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CLASSIC BUTTER TARTS
This is a great treat that is a small twist on pecan or walnut pie. Included in the recipe is butter, brown sugars, spices, coconut and walnuts. These are in great demand every year from my family and friends.
Provided by Carol Kronick
Categories Desserts Pies Tarts Butter Tart Recipes
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Roll pie dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles of dough to fit cups of standard muffin tin. Gently place into muffin cups.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and margarine over low heat just until melted. Stir in brown sugar, coconut, spices, nuts, salt, eggs, lemon juice, and corn syrup. Mix well. Fill prepared muffin cups halfway with this mixture.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 360.4 calories, Carbohydrate 43.2 g, Cholesterol 44.6 mg, Fat 20.9 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.6 g, Sodium 332.3 mg, Sugar 25.3 g
CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS
This recipe is adapted by Valerie Hatfield-Ringrose from the best of several recipes, plus her own additions. It has been made and perfected many times over the years. The tarts are the classic runny type, one of the few true Canadian concoctions.
Provided by Valerie Hatfield-Ringrose
Categories Desserts Pies Tarts Butter Tart Recipes
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Fill a cup with ice and water. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening to make pea-size pieces. Add the tablespoons of ice water from the cup until dough holds together. Form the dough into a ball. The dough is now complete. Put it into a plastic bag or wrap it up and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut the shells using a large glass or your smallest pot. You should have about 12 shells when finished. Put these shells into a greased muffin or tart pan.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Put walnuts and coconut on baking pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until brown. Remove from oven and set temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
- Fill the bottom of each tart shell with about 10 raisins each.
- Whisk together sugar, egg, butter, vanilla and hot water. Add coconut and walnuts. Pour mixture into tart shells, filling 2/3 full and no more.
- Bake in 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before attempting to remove. Makes 12 tarts.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 371.2 calories, Carbohydrate 41 g, Cholesterol 16.8 mg, Fat 22.3 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 3.7 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 121.5 mg, Sugar 22.7 g
AWARD-WINNING BUTTER TARTS
Butter tarts are a Canadian tradition. Waaaay back in the 1970s, a national contest here in Canada concluded that these butter tarts, originating from Wilkie's Bakery in Orillia, Ontario, were the best. I certainly think so and it's the only recipe I use. Add a sprinkle of toasted walnuts when you add the raisins, if you wish, or use only walnuts if you don't like raisins.
Provided by Lennie
Categories Pie
Time 1h5m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Prepare muffin pans by rolling out pie dough and cutting 4-inch (approx) circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups; set aside in fridge until ready to fill.
- In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup; stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Drain raisins.
- Retrieve tart shells and divide raisins equally into all shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts.
- Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling.
- Canadians fall into two camps about butter tarts and are quite loyal to their favourite type: runny or firm.
- I like runny-- the type that dribbles when you bite into one; if you like firm, bake them for the full 20 minutes, even adding another minute or two if you wish.
- Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 84.1, Fat 3.2, SaturatedFat 1.9, Cholesterol 19.2, Sodium 41.1, Carbohydrate 14.4, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 8.6, Protein 0.6
BUTTER TARTS
Old family recipe from my daughter-in-laws family in southern Mississippi. It is very good.
Provided by Barbara
Categories Desserts Cookies International Cookie Recipes American Cookie Recipes
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
- Cream the butter, sugar and eggs well. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Pour batter into tart shells, no more than half full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Watch carefully!!--they'll burn quickly. Filling will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or so. Liquid coffee creamer can be used for cream. Use any good pie pastry for shells.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 641.3 calories, Carbohydrate 85.5 g, Cholesterol 54.7 mg, Fat 31.5 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 7.9 g, SaturatedFat 9.6 g, Sodium 256.2 mg, Sugar 50.2 g
CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS
With comforting notes of butterscotch and caramel, Canadian butter tarts are the perfect easy dessert for when you want something small and sweet.
Provided by Ken Haedrich
Yield Makes about 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Prepare and refrigerate the pie dough.
- Roll the dough as you would for most pies, about ⅛-inch thick or a tad thinner. Don't worry about keeping it nice and round like you normally would.
- Using a 4-inch-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as possible. Line each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with one of the circles, gently nudging it down into the bottom creases of the pan. Try not to stretch the dough as you work; it can help to use something blunt, like a narrow jar, to nudge the dough. The top edge of the dough circle should come to about the middle of the cup. Gather the scraps and reroll the dough if you need additional circles. Chill the pan in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Adjust one oven rack so it is in the lower position, and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Combine the sugar, maple syrup, and butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk briefly. Add the egg, vinegar, vanilla, and salt, and whisk again.
- Set the muffin pan on your work surface. If you're using the fruit or nuts, put a few pieces in as many of the shells as you wish, but don't crowd them. Use a ladle or ¼-cup measuring cup with a handle to divide the filling evenly between the shells.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling bubbles and darkens somewhat.
- Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife around the edge to loosen each tart. Let the tarts cool in the pan, then remove. Store, refrigerated, in a single layer in a covered tin or container, but let them come to room temperature before serving.
CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS
Melt-in-the-mouth Canadian tarts
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Afternoon tea, Snack, Treat
Time 45m
Yield 18-20
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface so it's slightly thinner than straight from the pack. Then cut out 18-20 rounds with a 7.5cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the trimmings. Use the rounds to line two deep 12-hole tart tins (not muffin tins). If you only have a regular-sized, 12-hole tart tin you will be able to make a few more slightly shallower tarts.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Tip this mixture into a pan and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the butter melts, and the mixture bubbles and starts to thicken. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Don't overcook, and be sure to stir all the time as the mixture can easily burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts.
- Spoon the filling into the unbaked tart shells so it's level with the pastry. Bake for 15-18 minutes until set and pale golden. Leave in the tin to cool for a few minutes before lifting out on to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 200 calories, Fat 11 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 23 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, Sodium 0.2 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- For a richer flavor, use salted butter.
- If you don't have corn syrup, you can use honey or maple syrup instead.
- If you want the tarts to be extra gooey, use dark corn syrup.
- Don't overcook the tarts, or the filling will become too thick and hard.
- Let the tarts cool completely before storing them.
- Butter tarts can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Butter tarts can also be frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the tarts in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the tarts in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Conclusion:
Butter tarts are a classic Canadian dessert that is loved by people of all ages. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With a few simple ingredients, you can create a delicious and satisfying treat that will be sure to please everyone. So next time you're looking for a sweet and easy dessert, give butter tarts a try!
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