Butter Tarts

[Marlene]

According to this clip, Canadians can have heated debates over what a proper butter tart is:

There are many variations on the butter tart and serious debates have been waged over what makes a proper butter tart. The seemingly innocuous question of adding raisins to the butter, sugar and egg mixture gets Canadians hot under the collar

So, what's your favourite butter tart? Raisins? None? Runny? Firm? Back it up with a recipe if you can!

[Gifted Gourmet]

The only time I have ever eaten the famous Canadian butter tarts were these and they were your own 1969 recipe, Marlene. I have no other experience with these fantastic little squares and am completely satisfied to make the recipe through all eternity .. thanks for this recipe, Marlene!

[Marlene]

Ah, Melissa, but a true butter tart fanatic will tell you that squares don't count. (Although, I'm thrilled you like the recipe and I do love those squares). A butter tart pastry apparently is as important (almost) as the filling!

[Betts]

Raisins most definitely and no nuts and no coconut which is funny because I like nuts in everything else. When I moved to the States my Mum gave me a Mary Moore cookbook - which I am sure must be out of print by now. Only a Canadian food writer would have 2 pages of tart recipes.

Pastry

1 1/2 c AP flour

1 1/2 c cake flour

1 t salt

1 c shortening

Filling

1/2 c butter

1/2 c corn syrup

1 c plumped and drained raisins

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Make pastry and cut into rounds to fill tart pans. Stir filling together so no foam appears. Spoon into pastry shells, filling no more than 2/3s full. Bake at 425 for 13-15 min.

Notes: American flour is lower in protein so all AP works fine. Boil overs will fuse everything to the tins so watch carefully.

[dockhl]

Ladies~

I am not Canadian, and have never had a 'butter tart' but they sound WONDERFUL..........except for the raisins

I know it is prolly blasphemy, and we won't tell any mothers but.............

have you ever made this without raisins? More lemon juice? Dried cherries?

Or would it, then, become a totally different dish?

K

[Kerry Beal]

Raisins of course. And the pastry has to be made with lard.

I recall a letter I got from my mother one summer when they had been away sailing for a couple of months and she sent me a recipe for 'Canuck lll Butter Tarts' where she had added hard margarine in place of the butter in her usual butter tart recipe. They tasted the same and they didn't spill over.

There is another of my mothers recipes that use hard margarine and actually tastes better for it (and I am a die hard butter fan) and that is her date squares. But it has to be the hard stuff, not the margarine in the plastic containers.

Anyway here is the recipe for my mom's butter tart filling.

[Pam R]

They need raisins. Without raisins they're more of a .... well they have very little substance without the raisins.

I don't have my recipe here, but it includes butter, brown sugar, corn syrup (dark), vanilla, eggs and a pinch of salt.

I like them goooooooooooooey.

[sadistick]

I loooove butter tarts! I like mine with a thin tart shell, nice and crumbley...with a somewhat firm but moist and still gooey center...raisins are a must, and....dont shoot me...but i do like pecans in mine as well! At least on top, I pick them off them bite the pastry around the edge then eat the center! hehehe.

[Pam R]

....dont shoot me...but i do like pecans in mine as well! 

That's not a butter tart .... that's a pecan tart. (also good - but different )

[Librarian_chef]

I prefer a little chocolate either in the dough or drizzled on top of the butter tart. Raisins are a must and it must be firm, not runny. The only recipe I ever used was the Queen Butter Tart recipe from the Toronto Star that appeared in the early nineties. Had too much nutmeg in it for my taste.

Mark

[sadistick]

....dont shoot me...but i do like pecans in mine as well! 

That's not a butter tart .... that's a pecan tart. (also good - but different )

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Well...according to your logic then, a butter tart cannot contain anything else, so no raisins like you asked for either! Or else thats a butter raisin tart!

[Librarian_chef]

....dont shoot me...but i do like pecans in mine as well! 

That's not a butter tart .... that's a pecan tart. (also good - but different )

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Well...according to your logic then, a butter tart cannot contain anything else, so no raisins like you asked for either! Or else thats a butter raisin tart!

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I guess if it had too many raisins it would be a shoo fly tart. I think most people would agree that pecan tarts are not the same as butter tarts. After all, pecan pie is given its own designation and the fillings may not be the same for pecan tarts. Now if you had a butter tart with some other nut, e.g. hazelnut or cashews, I wouldn't know what to tell you.

Mark

[Pam R]

Now I'm all confused...

[Jeebus]

Wouldn't a butter tart without raisins just be a tarte au sucre?

[sadistick]

Wouldn't a butter tart without raisins just be a tarte au sucre?

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Nope, it would be...a butter tart!

[dockhl]

Wouldn't a butter tart without raisins just be a tarte au sucre?

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Nope, it would be...a butter tart!

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Finally answered !

THAT'S what I want !

[Betts]

Canadian corn syrup is vastly superior to the American stuff. The US has a clear white variety and a dark one but neither has the flavor ( perceived ?) that the golden corn syrup from Canada has.

[Bernaise]

I've had many a long argument with my fellow Canadians about what constitutes a Great Butter Tart. I'm convinced that it is a contrast of flavours and textures that makes them great.

I agree with the lard crust but in the interest of hanging on to my last clear artery I now use a 50-50 lard\shortening mix.But REALLY important is this pastry must be salty, quite salty a generous tsp.

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp butter

3 eggs

salt

2 tbsp of finely ground walnuts (optional -but really creates a nice balance)

Purists say it is black currants about 8 in the bottom of each tart - sometimes I find them a bit gritty. I often use sultanas but never ever the golden raisin. And no plumping

End result: a small rather shallow tart (I use standard muffin tins) with an odd opaque tan coloured top, and hidden below, a runny filling. The butter tart should always threaten to dribble on your chin - they should NEVER be custard like.

If they are too large they are too much and if they are properly runny and too large - well a disaster! If they are large and too doughy with a custard filling they keep well but who cares they're just not right.

With pecans no

With dried cherries - no.

With chocolate - blasphemy.

One should be able to eat two butter tarts with a piping hot cup of unsweetened tea with milk - this is heaven. In my opinion.

[Pam R]

Purists say it is black currants about 8 in the bottom of each tart - sometimes I find them a bit gritty. I often use sultanas but never ever the golden raisin. And no plumping

of course! currants. I bought a bag several months back to make butter tarts but completely forgot about them. That's ok though - I like the raisins.

As for the lard - you can have a damn good tart without it.

[melonpan]

I've had many a long argument with my fellow Canadians about what constitutes a Great Butter Tart.  I'm convinced that it is a contrast of flavours and textures that makes them great.

I agree with the lard crust but in the interest of hanging on to my last clear artery I now use a 50-50 lard\shortening mix.But REALLY important is this pastry must be salty, quite salty a generous tsp.

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp butter

3 eggs

salt

2 tbsp of finely ground walnuts (optional -but really creates a nice balance)

Purists say it is black currants about 8 in the bottom of each tart - sometimes I find them a bit gritty. I often use sultanas but never ever the golden raisin. And no plumping

End result: a small rather shallow tart (I use standard muffin tins) with an odd opaque tan coloured top, and hidden below, a runny filling.  The butter tart should always threaten to dribble on your chin - they should NEVER be custard like.

If they are too large they are too much and if they are properly runny and too large - well a disaster! If they are large and too doughy with a custard filling they keep well but who cares they're just not right.

With pecans no

With dried cherries - no.

With chocolate - blasphemy.

One should be able to eat two butter tarts with a piping hot cup of unsweetened tea with milk - this is heaven. In my opinion.

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thank you. this is a proper post. the only problem i have is with the last three words. if youre going to go and tell it like it is, dont sissy it up like you did at the end.

[Marlene]

I've had many a long argument with my fellow Canadians about what constitutes a Great Butter Tart.  I'm convinced that it is a contrast of flavours and textures that makes them great.

I agree with the lard crust but in the interest of hanging on to my last clear artery I now use a 50-50 lard\shortening mix.But REALLY important is this pastry must be salty, quite salty a generous tsp.

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp butter

3 eggs

salt

2 tbsp of finely ground walnuts (optional -but really creates a nice balance)

Purists say it is black currants about 8 in the bottom of each tart - sometimes I find them a bit gritty. I often use sultanas but never ever the golden raisin. And no plumping

End result: a small rather shallow tart (I use standard muffin tins) with an odd opaque tan coloured top, and hidden below, a runny filling.  The butter tart should always threaten to dribble on your chin - they should NEVER be custard like.

If they are too large they are too much and if they are properly runny and too large - well a disaster! If they are large and too doughy with a custard filling they keep well but who cares they're just not right.

With pecans no

With dried cherries - no.

With chocolate - blasphemy.

One should be able to eat two butter tarts with a piping hot cup of unsweetened tea with milk - this is heaven. In my opinion.

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Bernaise, I am going to try this recipe I think. At what temp do you bake yours?

[prasantrin]

I've had many a long argument with my fellow Canadians about what constitutes a Great Butter Tart.  I'm convinced that it is a contrast of flavours and textures that makes them great.

I agree with the lard crust but in the interest of hanging on to my last clear artery I now use a 50-50 lard\shortening mix.But REALLY important is this pastry must be salty, quite salty a generous tsp.

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp butter

3 eggs

salt

2 tbsp of finely ground walnuts (optional -but really creates a nice balance)

How many regular muffin tin-sized tarts does this make? 12? You gotta good crust recipe to go with it? I have some frozen pie crust dough in my freezer right now (about a 9" pie worth), but I didn't cut the butter finely enough, so it probably won't be quite right for a butter tart.

[Marlene]

How many regular muffin tin-sized tarts does this make?  12?  You gotta good crust recipe to go with it?  I have some frozen pie crust dough in my freezer right now (about a 9" pie worth), but I didn't cut the butter finely enough, so it probably won't be quite right for a butter tart.

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I'm using the pate brisee recipe from the Bouchon cookbook. Mostly because it's the only pie crust recipe that's never failed me.

[prasantrin]

[i'm using the pate brisee recipe from the Bouchon cookbook.  Mostly because it's the only pie crust recipe that's never failed me.

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Is that the one that goes with the quiche? I didn't quite cut the butter up as much as I should have for that recipe, either (my other too-big-butter-pieces crust is Wendy Debord's all butter crust), so I ended up with a huge puddle of melted butter in the oven. Luckily my Japanese oven comes with a little revolving tray to put the food on, so no harm was done to oven surfaces!

I think I'm going to have to go with your recipe for butter tart squares for now. It's just too hot to make pie crusts right now. Butter turns to mush in a matter of minutes! And I just need that little taste to satisfy my craving!

[Rachel Perlow]

There are too many posts above that basically say that butter tarts "must have raisins" to quote. So, if it must have raisins, shouldn't it be called a raisin tart? I remember being confused the first time I was offered a butter tart (at Varmint's 2nd pig pickin) and not realizing there were raisins in it until I bit into it. Totally tastes like a raisin tart to me.