Maple Butter Tart
Butter tarts are a traditional Canadian dessert with a flaky pastry shell and a rich, buttery sweetened filling that stays slightly runny in the centre. The tarts are baked in muffin tins, so each is an individual portion. This version uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup for a more complex, especially Canadian version.
- Prep
- 36 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 23 min
- Total
- 1 hr 59 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F).
Procedure
Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.
Procedure
Cut in the cold butter and mix with a series of short pulses, until the mixture resembles pea-meal. The crust will have a flakier texture if you avoid mixing the butter in too much.
Procedure
Gradually pulse in ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough just holds together. You may not need all the water.
Procedure
Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Procedure
Roll the dough to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut into 4 inch (10 cm) rounds.
Procedure
Gently press each round into a cup of a non-stick muffin pan. Chill the pan chill while making the filling.
Procedure
Cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Procedure
Whisk in the eggs until light and slightly frothy.
Procedure
Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, vinegar, and salt. Mix until smooth, but not foamy.
Procedure
Fill tart shells with the filling to about about two-thirds full.
Procedure
Sprinkle a spoonful of chopped nuts over the top of each tart.
Procedure
Bake for 15–18 minutes until the centre is gooey and slightly runny, which is the traditional Canadian style. If you prefer a firmer tart, cook for 20 minutes.
Procedure
Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out and cool on a rack.
Notes, tips, and variations
Shorter bake time results in a more gooey centre; longer baking (20–22 minutes) will set the filling more firmly.
Notes, tips, and variations
Do not overbeat the filling, which would result in a foamy or cakey texture.
Notes, tips, and variations
These are best served at room temperature or slightly warm.
Photo: Cnrowley · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 17 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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