The Best Classic Canadian Butter Tarts - a definite keeper recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why are my butter tarts so runny? ›

Butter tarts that are runny may be underbaked or may not contain enough egg. Eggs help thicken and stabilize butter tart filling while it bakes, which is why I've included two whole eggs in my recipe to ensure the filling is thick and fully set once baked.

Purists say true butter tarts should not contain raisins or nuts. For Currie and March of Wasaga Beach, Ont., they have to have raisins. Some like runny fillings, some firm. Some like thick pastry shells while others like thin so the filling stars.

The earliest published Canadian recipe is from Barrie, Ontario, dating back to 1900 and can be found in The Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook, to which a Mrs.

These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts. They bear some resemblance to the American pecan pie and British treacle tart, but their uniquely rich flavor sets them apart.

White Vinegar - Some say vinegar is added to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Others say the acidity of the vinegar helps to cut the sweetness of the tarts. Raisins - I use raisins, but you could also use nuts; pecans or walnuts are common.

Chilling your wrapped disk of pastry for 30 minutes before rolling it out is key to keeping it shrink-free.

The History Of The Butter Tart

' Butter tarts were common in Canadian pioneer cooking. The earliest published recipe for a butter tart is from Barrie, Ontario dating back to 1900 in the Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook. Another early published recipe was found in a 1915 pie cookbook.

They are a humble treat, made with ordinary ingredients, and spectacularly delicious. “If you look at the ingredients, it's really what you have in your pantry when you have nothing else,” said Liz Driver, the author of “Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825–1949.”

Does America have butter tarts? Yes, any decent bakery will typically carry butter tarts, that quintessential Canadian pastry.

What is Poutine? Poutine is Canada's national dish, which usually consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy.

Who first made butter tarts? ›

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, butter tarts are a result of the filles du roi, or the King's Daughters, who were young French women sent to Quebec in the 17th century.

The Origin of the Butter Tart

The Collins English Dictionary describes it as one of the few pastries with a genuinely Canadian origin. A butter tart is a small pastry tart, which generally consists of butter, sugar, syrup, and egg, filled into a flaky pastry and baked until the filling is semi-solid with a crunchy top.

Butter tarts are indeed a popular Canadian pastery. The phrase butter tart, as used in the song, is also slang for a woman's parts.

First of all, pecan pie is always made with pecans while butter tarts is either made without any additions, or raisins. Although some may get crazy and (gasp!) even add nuts! Secondly, butter tarts tend to have a slightly gooey-er filling since there isn't cornstarch.

Butter Tarts should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, they will keep for up to five days in the fridge. If you keep them at room temperature remember they will only keep for about a day or 2 depending on how warm your home is. To freeze, place them in an airtight freezer container.

You can make your own fruit filling by using homemade or store-bought jam and thickening it up a bit by simmering it with some cornstarch mixed with water (about a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a teaspoon or so of cold water to make a paste, then stir into ½ to ¾ cup of jam).

Too much butter in your baked goods would give them different texture (flat, greasy..).

Very soft, difficult-to-mould pastry: Either too little flour or too much water or fat was used, the pastry was not kneaded together until smooth or the pastry was still too hot and soft to roll out (to remedy this, allow to stand or knead gently for 1–2 minutes).

Adding too much liquid to the dough will only make it too soft, which won't give you a flaky and crispy crust. Before rolling the dough, it should be chilled to let the gluten relax. I recommend chilling the dough for about an hour. If chilled longer, it becomes too stiff to work easily.