Butter Tarts

A classic Canadian treat! This recipe makes sweet, smooth and delicious Butter Tarts. I prefer Butter Tarts that are a little more stiff (so I can take a bite without ruining my shirt!) but still creamy. This recipe will get you a gorgeous, smooth, stable, gooey filling, with a perfect, golden crust, in one simple bake.

Tart Shells

Ingredients:

250g Flour

90g Butter, cold, cubed

85g Lard or Shortening, very cold, cubed

5g Salt

75g Water, very cold

1 x 12 cup tart or muffin tray

Directions:

1. Cut the butter and lard into ¼” cubes. Put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until the lard is stiff.

2. Combine the flour, butter, lard and salt in the bowl of a mixer. With the paddle attachment on low speed, mix until the pieces of fat are pea-sized.

3. Keeping the mixer on low speed, pour in the cold water. (warm water will melt the fat in the dough, and make it tough)

4. Mix until just combined.

5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and bring together by hand.

6. Shape the dough into a disc about 2” thick. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

7. When the dough is stiff and cold, place it onto a well floured surface. Add a generous dusting of flour on top.

8. Roll the dough until it is about 2mm thick. Rotate the dough and add flour as you work, to prevent it from sticking to your counter.

9. Cut 12 circles out of the dough, about 5” across.

10. Fold the dough circles into the tart tray. Press into the bottom corners without stretching the dough.

Butter Tart Filling

Ingredients:

1 cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed

1 cup Corn Syrup

½ cup Butter

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp Salt

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 415℉

2. Whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt.

3. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, and stir it into the sugar mixture.

4. Scoop the mixture into the tart shells. The filling should come about ⅔ of the way up the sides.

5. If you have extra filling (and extra pie dough), you can make more butter tarts, but do not over-fill the tart shells, or they will overflow in the oven, and you will have trouble removing them from the pans.

6. Place the tarts on the bottom rack of your oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the pastry is brown, and the filling is baked. When you move the tray, the filling should jiggle, but not slosh.

7. Once the tarts are cool, they should slide out of the pan easily. If any tarts are stuck, you can run a knife along the edges to release them.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the pastry with 250g Flour, 90g Butter, 85g Lard, 5g Salt, and 75g Water. For detailed pie dough instructions, follow this link.

Refrigerate your dough for about an hour, until firm. Then turn it out onto a well floured surface.

Gently roll out the dough

It should be about 2 mm thick, and spanning a large area on your counter.

Cut out 12 circles, each about 5" across. You can use a large cookie cutter, or just cut around a small dish.

You will want 12 total dough circles.

With your remaining dough, firmly bring the scraps together

Roll it out as you did the fresh dough, and cut the remaining circles. The more times you re-roll dough scraps, the tougher the final pastry will be, so try to be as efficient as possible when cutting the circles.

To line the tart pan, gently take a circle of pastry,

Carefully fold in the two sides,

Place it in the tart pan,

And press the bottom edges into place. Be careful not to stretch the dough, or it will shrink when baking.

When all 12 tart shells are lined, pop the tray into the fridge and prepare the filling.

Gather your filling ingredients: Butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Preheat the oven to 415℉.

Place ½ cup butter in a saucepan and melt.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar,

1 cup corn syrup,

½ tsp salt,

1 tsp vanilla,

and 3 eggs.

Whisk ingredients together

Until smooth.

Pour in the melted butter,

And whisk until smooth. Try not to incorporate too much air as you whisk, of the filling may expand too much in the oven.

Scoop the filling into the prepared tart shells, to make them about ⅔ full. If you over-fill the shells, the filling will expand and spill over the sides, making the butter tarts nearly impossible to remove from the pan.

Place the Butter Tarts on the lower shelf in your oven.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until the pastry is brown, and the filling is baked. When you move the tray, the filling should jiggle, but not slosh.

Once cool, remove the tarts from the pan. If any of the tarts are sticking to the pan, gently run a knife around the edge of the tarts to release them. Store them in the fridge, but eat them at room temperature (or warm)

Enjoy your gooey, delicious treat!