Teresa's Recipes
Classic Canadian Butter Tarts
Embrace the sweet side of Canadian cuisine with these delectable butter tarts. This dessert has a rich history dating back to the pioneer days and is often considered one of Canada's quintessential treats. It features a perfectly flaky pastry shell, lovingly cradling a divine, gooey filling that's a heavenly blend of butter, sugar, and vanilla, with the added texture of raisins or pecans. These butter tarts are the ultimate comfort food dessert, offering a bite of nostalgia with every spoonful.
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup, cubed Cold unsalted butter
- 2-3 tablespoons Cold water
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Corn syrup
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- optional Raisins or pecans
Dietary Notes
- Servings: 12 tarts
- Dish Type: Dessert
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 15g
- Carbs: 38g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Sugar: 23g
Instructions
- Using a food processor, blend the all-purpose flour and cold cubed butter until it takes on the texture of coarse crumbs.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water to the mixture and pulse again until a dough forms.
- Remove the dough from the processor and shape it into a disc on a lightly floured surface. Wrap this in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) while the dough is chilling.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using a round cookie cutter or a glass, cut out circles from the dough that are larger than your tart molds.
- Press the dough circles into the tart molds, ensuring to press against the sides to shape the tarts.
- In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and salt until the mixture is smooth.
- Optionally, add a few raisins or pecans to each tart shell for added texture.
- Pour your prepared filling into each tart shell until they are 3/4 full.
- Place the tart molds on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. The filling should be set and the pastry golden brown.
- Allow the tarts to cool in the molds for a few minutes before carefully removing them and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve your butter tarts at room temperature for the best flavor and enjoy!
Tips
- For a twist, you can add a touch of bourbon to the filling for an adult version or sprinkle with sea salt for a salted caramel effect. Also, chilling the tart shells before filling them can help keep the pastry flaky.