Butter Tarts
The Best Classic Canadian Butter Tarts. There’s a reason why we have a national obsession with these sweet, buttery, caramel-y tarts. I’ve sampled them in many places across the country and this thick pastry version is my favourite. Don’t do the raisin debate, just leave them out if they are not your thing. Everyone should be able to enjoy them as they like them.
Butter tarts are one of my all time favourite sweet treats and have been for many years. I don’t often make them because, to be absolutely frank, I would not rest until I had eaten all of them!
Canadians love their butter tarts and I have had some fine examples in other parts of the country. I think the nod goes to Quebec for the best I’ve had though.
I can’t tell you the numbers of these I’ve eaten over the years, driving along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and stopping into little bakeries along the way to sample the local versions of this perfect little pastry. Here is my favorite version.
There is a great deal of debate about whether the filling should be firm or slightly runny. Most butter tart aficionados I know across Canada comedown on the runny side of the debate.
If you prefer the filling firmer, add an additional egg to the mix, and modify the corn syrup and brown sugar amounts as found in the NOTE added to this recipe. You may also want to bake them for just a few minutes longer.
Old family recipe from my daughter-in-laws family in southern Mississippi. It is very good.”
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
2 cups raisins
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup chopped walnuts
30 (2 inch) unbaked tart shells
Directions
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.
recipes from: allrecipes