Classic Butter Tarts

Name: Classic Butter Tarts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1/4 cup cold lard, cubed; 1 egg yolk; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1/4 cup ice water; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/3 cup white corn syrup; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 2 eggs; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1/8 tsp salt

1674

Prep Time20 min
Total Time1 h 40 min
Makes12

*PLUS 1 hour 20 minutes chill

By Chatelaine

(Photo: Erik Putz)

This Canadian classic butter tart recipe wraps a gooey, sweet filling in perfectly flaky pastry. Plus, variations for chocolate, pecan and boozy versions.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup cold lard, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup ice water

Filling

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup white corn syrup
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

WHIRL flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and lard. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Whisk yolk, vinegar and ice water in a small bowl. With motor running, pour through feed tube while pulsing until just combined. Wrap with plastic wrap and press into a disc. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
POSITION rack in bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 450F.
WHISK sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt in a bowl until smooth.
ROLL out dough on a lightly floured surface to ⅛-in. thickness. Cut into 12 rounds using a 4 ½-in. round cookie cutter, re-rolling scraps. Gently press rounds into a 12-cup muffin pan. Press sides to adhere. Refrigerate for 20 min. Spoon 2 tbsp filling into each pastry.
BAKE for 8 min. Reduce heat to 400F and open oven slightly for 10 sec. Bake until filling is puffed and pastry is golden, about 7 more min. Let stand on rack for 3 min. Run a small knife around the edges of tarts and transfer to rack to cool completely.

Butter Tart Recipe Step-By-Step Instructions

Pulse the first 4 ingredients in a food processor.

A food processor shown from above filled with flour and cubes of butter and lard, next to glass prep bowls of egg yolks, white vinegar, and water

Whisk next 3 in a bowl. Pulse into flour mixture.

An overhead shot of a marble counter with a glass bowl filled with eggs and a hand holding a whisk beating the eggs next to a measuring cup and two small glass pinch bowls

Wrap with plastic wrap and press into a disc. Chill for 1 hour.

A sheet of plastic with a lump of butter tart crust dough on it surrounded by crumbs

Whisk filling ingredients in a bowl.

A glass bowl filled with eggs and brown sugar next to a stainless steel measuring teaspoon and a small pinch bowl of salt on a marble counter

Roll out dough and cut into rounds. Press into muffin pan. Chill.

A rolled-out circle of butter tart dough with a hand reaching over it holding a biscuit cutter and marks of the biscuit cutter pressed into the dough surrounding it on a marble counter next to a small bowl of flour

Spoon in filling.

A muffin tin filled with uncooked but cut butter tart crusts with a hand over it holding a tablespoon filled with butter tart filling putting the filling in one of the empty tarts

Butter tart variations

Chocolate Butter Tarts Recipe

A closeup of a chocolatey butter tart on a white background

Top each tart with 2 tsp coarsely chopped dark chocolate just before baking.

Bourbon Cranberry Butter Tarts Recipe

A bourbon cranberry butter tart, topped with dried cranberries, on a white background

Stir 1 tbsp whisky or bourbon into filling just before pouring into pastry. Top each tart with 1 tsp chopped dried cranberries.

Pecan Butter Tarts Recipe

A closeup of a butter tart topped with chopped pecans on a white background

Top each tart with 1 tsp chopped pecans before baking.

Want to call it a day and just make squares? Our maple syrup butter tart squares recipe has all the flavour of classic butter tarts, but is way easier to make.

Nutrition (per tart)

Calories 276, Protein 3g, Carbohydrates 35g, Fat 15g, Sodium 142mg.

Chatelaine

Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.

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