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Butter Tarts

The Great Canadian Butter Tart

Today, the popularity of the butter tart has never been greater. As a kid growing up in Canada, I was introduced to the wonder of butter tarts at a very early age. There is even an annual “Butter Tart Festival” in Midland, Ontario – the small town that I grew up in.
This was actually one of my Great Grandmother’s specialties, and I can still taste the gooey, flaky goodness of her recipe. Although I’ve been making butters tarts for many years now I’ve never seemed to find a recipe that checked all the boxes. However, thanks to some patience and repeated effort I now have one that I’m 100% happy with. This one is perfectly combination of sweetness and texture, with just the right hint of maple to make it a truly Canadian dessert. Enjoy!
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Canadian
Calories: 355
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter cubed + chilled
  • 1/2 cup shortening cubed + chilled
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 8 tbsp cold water
Filling
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup golden corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Equipment

  • food processor
  • 12-cup muffin tin
  • Rolling Pin
  • 3.5-inch round pastry cutter
  • large mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

Mise en Place
  1. Assemble equipment. Cube chilled butter and shortening, melt butter for filling, measure and separate all ingredients.
Cooking + Assembly
  1. Place all crust ingredients in a food processor, reserving the cold water. Pulse the mixture a few times until well combined, then slowly begin to add the water to form a rough dough.
  2. Remove the dough mixture and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Work the dough gently (do not knead it) until a cohesive dough is formed, adding small amounts of extra water if needed.
  3. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to an even thickness of approximately 1/4 inch. Use a round pastry cutter to cut the dough into 12 circles, then press them into the muffin tin. Place the entire baking tin in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while the filling is being prepared.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  5. Place all of the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
  6. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and fill to 2/3 with the tart mixture. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire baking rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • I've used all-purpose flour here, but you can also use pastry flour for the crust. Be careful not to overfill the tart shells.
  • Advanced warning that the filling tends to bubble up while cooking which will cause a sticky mess and make it difficult to remove the butter tarts from the muffin tin. Make sure not to overfill.
  • Adding an additional egg will result in a less gooey filling.