Canadian Butter Tarts
This easy recipe for Canadian butter tarts shows you how to make this amazing dessert. This old fashioned treat has a buttery filling, crisp pastry, and juicy raisins. These gooey butter tarts are sure to be a favorite with family and friends!
Servings: 12 tarts
Calories: 315kcal
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled
- ¼ cup lard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup ice water
For the Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins optional
Instructions
Making the Pastry
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and add the butter, lard, and salt. Rub the fats into the flour by pinching and mixing it with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add just enough ice water to hold the mixture together into a dough. Make sure that there's no flour left at the bottom of the bowl.
- Gently knead the pastry a few times, then shape it into a disc and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling. This relaxes the gluten in the pastry and firms up the butter and lard in the dough.
Making the Butter Tart Filling
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- If you're adding raisins, pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of boiling water on top of the raisins and let them soak while you're making the filling.
- Whisk together the softened butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until well-combined and smooth. Set aside.
- Roll out the chilled pastry to ⅛" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out as many 4-inch circles as you can, re-rolling the scraps to get more rounds. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with the pastry circles, making sure to get the pastry into the corners of the pan.
- Drain the raisins and sprinkle them in the bottom of each tart.
- Fill each pastry shell ¾ full with the filling. Be careful not to overfill, as this will cause them to overflow in the oven.
Baking the Butter Tarts
- Bake at 200°F for 15 minutes, then turn the heat up to 350°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Watch the tarts closely towards the end of the baking time, as the filling can overflow. They are done when the pastry is a pale golden brown around the edges and the filling is browned.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve at room temperature. Store leftover ones in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use homemade pastry for the best taste. Only use store-bought if you're in a pinch.
- Be sure to whisk the filling well. This ensures that the sugar has dissolved and the butter is evenly incorporated.
- Don't overfill. Otherwise, they'll overflow in the oven.
- Bake at 200°F first, then at 350°F. This will reduce any boiling over of the filling as they bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tart | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
