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It is just past Canadian Thanksgiving, and as the trees strip down and we don
our parkas and tuques, we think about Butter Tarts. Actually we think about
Butter Tarts all year round, except for those of us qui pense des "tartes au
sucre" tout l'annee.
One of the ultimate Canadian desserts, the butter tart is a mash-up of pecan
pie and sugar pie in a small tart form. They are popular year-round because
as you can imagine in most of Canada winter is a bone-chilling five-month
affliction, and sugar (or maple syrup in late winter), flour, butter and eggs
are available all year, both in French and English Canada. Also, quintessentially
Canadian are the numerous regional variations connoisseurs and devotees insist
are "the one true way; everything else is heresy." (Whiskey, pecans, raisins,
currants, corn syrup, chocolate, et cetera.)
Measurements are in US units. Given enough demand from the civilized world,
I can prepare a recipe for metric units.
BUTTER TARTS
INGREDIENTS
1.75 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:
1. 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.
2. POSITION rack in bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 450F.
3. WHISK sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, vinegar and
salt in a bowl until smooth.
4. ROLL out dough on a lightly floured surface to ⅛-in. thickness. Cut into 12
rounds using a 4½-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.
5. 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.
At our house we sometimes add 1/2 cup raisins after the raisins rested a half-hour
in initially very hot water for 30 minutes, and incorporate the raisins after
Step 3 and before Step 4.
Other 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.
Pour les francophones, la meilleure tarte au sucre à l’érable:
https://cinqfourchettes.com/2015/12/la-meilleure-tarte-au-sucre-lerable.html
Bon Appetit!