Colleens Butter Tarts Recipes

CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Fill a cup with ice and water. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening to make pea-size pieces. Add the tablespoons of ice water from the cup until dough holds together. Form the dough into a ball. The dough is now complete. Put it into a plastic bag or wrap it up and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut the shells using a large glass or your smallest pot. You should have about 12 shells when finished. Put these shells into a greased muffin or tart pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
• Put walnuts and coconut on baking pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until brown. Remove from oven and set temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Fill the bottom of each tart shell with about 10 raisins each.
• Whisk together sugar, egg, butter, vanilla and hot water. Add coconut and walnuts. Pour mixture into tart shells, filling 2/3 full and no more.
• Bake in 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before attempting to remove. Makes 12 tarts.

CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Ingredients and Instructions for Tenderflake Pie Pastry with my notes and variations is here.
• Beat eggs; add sugar, syrup, vinegar, vanilla, and butter; mix well to combine thoroughly
• Stir in currants
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Roll pastry and cut with fluted cookie cutter
• Place each pastry cutout into mini-tart shell mold ; fill each shell ¾ full with filling (if too fill, filling will boil over and tart will stick to pan and appear unappealing)
• Bake 8 - 12 minutes at 350°F until pastry is golden; watch carefully after 8 minutes
• Cool for 5 minutes in pan on cooling rack; use a butter knife, or dull knife to loosen each tart from pan as some filling usually creates a little sticking
• Place each on cooling rack; pack carefully in tightly sealed labeled and dated container until needed, placing parchment or plastic wrap between layers
• Freezes beautifully up to 3 months

BARBARA'S BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare your favorite pastry recipe and cut out round shapes of sufficient size to fit into muffin tins.
• Place shells in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to chill.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Assemble ingredients.
• Add all ingredients to large mixing cup or bowl. Whisk, or stir, just until ingredients are combined.
• Pour or spoon filling into prepared shells, filling each about 2/3 full.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or just until filling has set. Let cool 20-25 minutes in muffin tins on rack then remove from pans to rack to finish cooling.

BEST CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Cut in the lard and butter using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
• In a measuring cup, combine the egg and vinegar. Add enough cold water to make one cup.
• Gradually stir in the liquid, adding just enough to make the dough cling together.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball and divide into two equal portions. Tightly saran wrap both portions. Place one in the freezer for later use. Place the other in the fridge to chill for one hour.
• Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8″ thick. Cut as many 4″ circles as you can. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more circles to make 12.
• Fit the pastry circles into a muffin pan and place back in the fridge until ready to fill.
• Preheat oven to 375F and position a rack in lower third of oven.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and vanilla. Let cool to touch (about 5 minutes) before whisking in the egg.
• Divide the pecans (if using) among the pastry shells and pour in the filling until half full.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes or until crust is lightly golden around the edges and filling is bubbling.
• Let cool completely in the pan. Best way to remove the tarts from the pan is to place a cooling rack (upside down) on top and flip the pan over. Then individually flip each butter tart right side up.

COLLEEN'S BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll prepared pie crust pastry out on a lightly floured surface; cut into circles using a biscuit cutter. Press pastry circles into 12 individual size tart tins.
• Beat corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, and salt together in a mixing bowl until frothy, about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons pecans into bottom of each tart shell; pour in egg mixture to fill shells 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbly and pastry is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool for 10 minutes; remove from tart tins.

GRANDMA'S FRENCH CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare muffin pans by rolling out pie dough and cutting 5-1/2 inch (approx) circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups; set aside in fridge until ready to fill. (I use the top of a Kraft peanut butter jar.).
• In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed.
• Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
• Drain raisins.
• Retrieve tart shells and divide raisins equally into all shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts.
• Bake at 400°F for 15-25 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling. Runny tarts - 15 minutes. Firm tarts - 20-25 minutes.
• Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool.

REAL CANADIAN BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Line tart tins with pastry. Sprinkle 6-8 currants into each tart shell.
• Let butter cool to room temp, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.
• Spoon into unbaked tart shells, filling about 2/3 full.
• Bake at 200F for 15 min, then without taking the tarts out, turn the oven to 350°F Bake another 10-15 min, until they start to brown. This method will prevent them from boiling over.
• Note: I use Tenderflake lard and make the pastry using the instructions on the box, chilling the dough before rolling. Roll it a little thicker than for pie pastry, and use a little extra flour.