The Best Classic Canadian Butter Tarts Recipe
This recipe for Classic Canadian Butter Tarts offers a perfect balance of sweet and flaky, featuring a rich, buttery filling with a hint of vanilla and the traditional burst of raisins atop a tender, flaky pastry crust. Ideal for dessert or a special treat with tea, these tarts highlight the beloved Canadian classic with simple ingredients and easy preparation.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 butter tarts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional substitutions: pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips)
Pastry Dough
- 2 1/4 cups flour (pastry flour preferred, all-purpose acceptable)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup shortening, very cold and cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup butter, very cold and cut into cubes
- 6 tbsp ice water (approximate, just enough to bring dough together)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough mixture: Pulse the cold butter and shortening into the flour, brown sugar, and salt using a food processor until the fat is reduced to pea-sized pieces, ensuring a flaky crust texture.
- Add ice water: Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and gently toss with a fork just until the dough comes together, careful not to overwork it to maintain tenderness.
- Shape and chill the dough: Form the dough into two rounds about an inch thick, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm the fats.
- Roll out and cut pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough and cut into 4-inch rounds. Fit each round into the cups of a muffin tin, then chill again in the fridge or freezer to keep the pastry cold for optimal flakiness.
- Make the filling: In a bowl, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and salt; mix well to create a smooth syrup filling. Reserve the raisins for later.
- Assemble tarts: Sprinkle raisins evenly in the bottom of each pastry-lined muffin cup, then fill each cup two-thirds full with the syrup mixture, taking care not to overflow.
- Bake the tarts: Place the muffin tin on the bottom shelf of a preheated oven at 425°F (220°C) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden.
- Cool and serve: Remove the tarts from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before carefully removing them from the pans to prevent breaking.
Notes
- Use cold fat and cold water to ensure a flaky pastry crust.
- Chilling the dough before and after shaping helps maintain structure and flakiness.
- For variation, substitute raisins with nuts or chocolate chips as preferred.
- Placing pastry in the freezer briefly before baking helps avoid shrinking and improves flakiness.
- Watch baking times closely to prevent the filling from overcooking or cracking.
Keywords: Butter tarts, Canadian dessert, classic butter tarts, flaky pastry, sweet syrup filling, raisin tarts
