Classic Butter Tarts
By Chatelaine1534
PREP TIME
20 min
TOTAL TIME
1 h 40 min
Makes
12
* PLUS 1 hour 20 minutes chill
But the real question is, raisins or no raisins? Photo, Erik Putz.
We set out to develop the ultimate butter tart — and we nailed it. These indulgent treats wrap a gooey, sweet filling in a perfectly flaky pastry.
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 step-by-step
Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor.
Whisk next 3 in a bowl. Pulse into flour mixture.
Wrap with plastic wrap and press into a disc. Chill for 1 hour.
Whisk filling ingredients in a bowl.
Roll out dough and cut into rounds. Press into muffin pan. Chill.
Spoon in filling.
Butter tart variations
Chocolatey Butter Tarts
Top each tart with 2 tsp coarsely chopped dark chocolate just before baking.
Boozy Butter Tarts
Stir 1 tbsp whisky into filling just before pouring into pastry. Top each tart with 1 tsp chopped dried cranberries.
Pecan Butter Tarts
Top each tart with 1 tsp chopped pecans before baking.
Nutrition (per tart)
- Calories
- 276,
- Protein
- 3 g,
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g,
- Fat
- 15 g,
- Sodium
- 142 mg.
