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Butter tarts
Ontario's small pastry tarts with a gooey brown sugar, butter and maple filling, with or without raisins
Butter tarts are fiercely loved in Ontario, where towns along the 'Butter Tart Trail' near Midland and Wellington County hold contests, and where Canadians argue about whether raisins belong in them. Small, flaky pastry cups hold a filling of brown sugar, butter, egg and syrup that bakes into a gooey, caramel-like centre with a crackled top. This version adds a little maple syrup and leaves raisins optional. Chef's tip: bake only until the filling bubbles and the edges are set but the centre still jiggles; runny is the goal, but overbaked tarts turn sugary and hard.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and ¼ tsp salt. Rub in 5 ½ oz cold butter, leaving some pea-sized lumps, then sprinkle in ¼ cup ice-cold water and press into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and cut 12 circles of 10 cm. Press into a 12-hole muffin tin so they come just above the rim. Chill for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Whisk 5 ½ oz light brown sugar, 2 ⅛ oz butter, 1 egg, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice and 1 pinch salt until smooth. Don't whisk to a froth; air makes the filling rise and spill.
Step 4: Put a few 2 ⅛ oz raisins or pecans in each case if using, then fill two-thirds full. Common mistake: overfilling; the filling boils over, glues the tarts to the tin and burns.
Step 5: Bake for 15–18 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling has puffed and bubbled, with a centre that still wobbles. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then run a knife round each and lift out.
18 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does butter tarts take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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