Butter Tarts

5 from 1 vote

Butter Tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert that vaguely resemble the interior of pecan pie. They are made individually, and can be enjoyed plain or with walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips. This recipe is a family secret from my Canadian aunt that I am sharing with you!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 226kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Whisk
Cooling Rack
Oven Mitt
Plastic Wrap
Mixing Bowl(s)

Ingredients

Pastry Ingredients

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
¼ cup cold lard cut into cubes
¼ cup regular sour cream
2 tbsp ice water plus more if necessary

Filling Ingredients

1 egg
½ cup light or dark brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla
chopped walnuts optional
chopped pecans optional
chocolate chips optional
raisins optional

Instructions

Pastry Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt. Then add ¼ cup cold unsalted butter and ¼ cup cold lard into the bowl.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the mixture into fine crumbs. The butter should be about the size of a pea, and will be very floury, and that’s okay.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp ice water and ¼ cup regular sour cream until smooth. Add the smooth mixture to the pastry while stirring with a fork.
Add 2 tsp extra ice water to the pastry and work the dough with your hands to form a “ragged” dough ball.
Place the ball on saran wrap and press into a flat disc shape. Cover completely with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can refrigerate this dough for up to three days.

Filling Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 egg thoroughly. Then add ½ cup light or dark brown sugar and ½ cup light corn syrup, and whisk again.
Drizzle 2 tbsp melted butter into the mixture, whisking as you do so.
Add ½ tsp vanilla and 1 tsp lemon juice and whisk again. Set aside.

Assembly Instructions

Remove the disk from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to ⅛” thickness. Lightly flour the pin as needed.
Using a 4” or 5” cutter, cut the dough into 12 circles. Do not be afraid to reroll scraps to cut all 12 circles. Fit into 12 muffin cup tins. Refrigerate this tin for 30 more minutes.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the tart tin from the refrigerator after 30 minutes. Add the add-ins to pastry cups if desired (any combination of pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips, or raisins). Spoon the filling into each tart until each tart is ½-¾ full.
Bake the tarts for 25-35 minutes until the filling is set and the pastry is a little golden brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and place the tart pan on an elevated wire cooling rack. Before the tarts cool, run a thin knife around the edges to release the tart from the side of the pan.
Allow the tarts to completely cool (approximately 30 minutes) before removing them from the tin. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational and personal use only.

Ice Water: You only need to use extra water if your pastry requires it, but this one usually does.
Corn Syrup: We use light corn syrup, as it makes for a sweeter, more traditional flavor! Dark corn syrup will add a molasses flavor that is not as traditional. Some recipes call for maple syrup instead, but this recipe hasn’t been tested with that swap.
Fillings: Filling options include walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips, or pecans. You can use them in any combination to make fillings. I go through some common filling combinations above.
Using an electric hand mixer instead of a whisk will change the color and texture of the filling. Whisk by hand for the correct result.
When forming the dough, use a pastry cutter and cut the dough on the side of the bowl until the butter forms into pea-sized pieces. You could instead choose to use two forks, but a pastry cutter is easier.
When making the filling, ensure that your butter is not too hot so that it doesn’t scramble the egg that is in the filling!
Using a 4” cookie cutter is our preferred method, but the tarts/filling will be shallow. 5” cookie cutter will create deeper tarts with more filling, though you may need to bake them for longer and will not get as many tarts.
Butter tarts are a sweet treat, so they are traditionally eaten with a cup of tea. Earl Grey tea or a dark breakfast tea are good options to serve with your tarts!

Nutrition

Save This Recipe!