Butter Tarts

close up image of butter tart cut in half on cooling rack

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: canadian

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 45

Servings: tarts

Calories: 281cal

Author: Ashley Fehr

These Butter Tarts are a Canadian classic that comes together with just 25 minutes of prep! Homemade pastry shells are filled with a rich, caramel-y filling and pecans or raisins, then baked until buttery and flaky on the inside and gooey on the inside.

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US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Pastry Tart Shells

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (227 grams)** see note
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter cubed (112 grams)
⅓ cup cold water

Butter Tart filling

1 cups brown sugar, packed (190 grams)
½ cup golden corn syrup
¼ cup salted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon white vinegar (optional: it helps to cut the sweetness)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: ½ cup raisins or pecans

Instructions

Pastry Tart Shells

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (or your hands!), until crumbly. (The butter should be in pea-sized chunks.)
Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water and work the dough with your hands, until it comes together in a ball, adding in additional cold water if necessary.
Shape the dough into a fat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out the pastry.
Use a circular cookie cutter or large cup to cut the dough into 3½-4" rounds.
Place the rounds into a muffin pan, gently pressing the pastry into the bottom of the cup and up the sides. You will fill one 12-cup muffin pan.
Place the muffin pan into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Butter Tart Filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla
Gently ladle the filling into the unbaked tart shells, dividing evenly between the 12.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling has puffed slightly.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. (The colder the tarts, the firmer the filling.)

Video

Notes

Make Pastry in a Food Processor:

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar by pulsing a few times. Add the butter cubes and pulse, until crumbly. Add the water one tablespoon at a time and pulse, until dough starts to come together, then press the dough together into a ball.

Storage:

The butter tarts will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. To enjoy again, you can either serve them cold or let them come to room temperature on the counter.

If they're frozen, be sure to thaw them in the fridge first.

Nutrition