As I’ve recently mentioned, Butter Tarts are a quintessentially Canadian dessert. They are rich gooey, tasty little mini pie confections that should be savored [...]]]>

Update: quite a number of folks have arrived at these pages searching for a butter tart recipe, so I’m reposting and opening comments to get your feedback. Enjoy!

As I’ve recently mentioned, Butter Tarts are a quintessentially Canadian dessert. They are rich gooey, tasty little mini pie confections that should be savored with care – you might need a plate or napkin to catch the drips. For even gooier tarts, substitute 1/2 cup corn syrup or maple syrup for half the brown sugar. I’m not great at making pastry so I use refrigerated pie crust – no apologies to purists. My Mom’s version is my favorite, but here’s another version to try.

Pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold shortening or butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp salt
2 T cold water, or

(1 pkg ready-to-bake pie crust; remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before use)

Filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup each: raisins, chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Scratch Pastry:
In food processor, combine flour, shortening or butter, salt, with on/off pulses until crumbly. Gradually add water, just until ball forms. (Add up to 1 T more water if dough is too dry.) Turn onto work surface, press together to form ball, flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic, chill 30 min.

Filling:
In medium bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and egg until light. Add vanilla, salt. Stir in raisins, walnuts.

Pillsbury:
Remove each disk from wrap, unfold pastry, remove top sheet of plastic and gently flatten folds with fingers. Using cookie cutter, cut into 3-inch circles and line muffin cups. Fill each cup no more than 2/3 full (about 1 T filling). Makes 12-15 medium tarts.

Pastry:
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles and line muffin cups. Fill each cup no more than 2/3 full (about 1 T filling). Makes 12-15 medium tarts.

Bake at 375°F for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool in pans, remove and store in air-tight container.

This is my Mom’s butter tart recipe, although she makes her own incredible pie pastry and [...]]]>

Update: quite a number of folks have arrived at these pages searching for a butter tart recipe since I originally posted it in October 2007. So I’m re-posting and opening comments to get your feedback. Enjoy!

This is my Mom’s butter tart recipe, although she makes her own incredible pie pastry and I take the short-cut of ready-to-bake pie crust from the supermarket.

These are also known as Taffy Tarts. Some of us like raisins and or chopped nuts in our butter tarts, some of us don’t – try both ways. Runny, sticky, sweet, delicious. Makes 12-15 tarts. See the “Next Best Canadian Butter Tarts” posting for a pastry recipe if you don’t have your own.

1 cup raisins
2 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 pkg ready-to-bake pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a heat-proof bowl, pour boiling water over raisins to plump them up, then drain well.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir mixture well.
4. Gently unroll refrigerated pie crust pastry per box directions; using a 3″ round cookie cutter (or the rim of a large drinking glass), cut out pastry disks. Gently press scraps together and roll to flatten and cut remaining disks.
5. Line regular muffin cups with pastry and spoon in about 1 T filling, pastry should be no more than two-thirds full. Warning: do not overfill, these will boil over and make it difficult to loosen the tart from the pan.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until pastry begins to look golden. Cool in pans, loosen and remove to wire racks.

These are also known as Taffy Tarts. Some of us like raisins and or chopped nuts in our butter tarts, some of us don’t – try both [...]]]>

This is my Mom’s butter tart recipe, although she makes her own incredible pie pastry and I take the short-cut of ready-to-bake pie crust from the supermarket.

These are also known as Taffy Tarts. Some of us like raisins and or chopped nuts in our butter tarts, some of us don’t – try both ways. Runny, sticky, sweet, delicious. Makes 12-15 tarts. See the “Next Best Canadian Butter Tarts” posting for a pastry recipe if you don’t have your own.

1 cup raisins
2 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 pkg ready-to-bake pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a heat-proof bowl, pour boiling water over raisins to plump them up, then drain well.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir mixture well.
4. Gently unroll refrigerated pie crust pastry per box directions; using a 3″ round cookie cutter (or the rim of a large drinking glass), cut out pastry disks. Gently press scraps together and roll to flatten and cut remaining disks.
5. Line regular muffin cups with pastry and spoon in about 1 T filling, pastry should be no more than two-thirds full. Warning: do not overfill, these will boil over and make it difficult to loosen the tart from the pan.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until pastry begins to look golden. Cool in pans, loosen and remove to wire racks.