Maple Butter Tarts with runny filling

A homemade flaky pastry filled with a gooey sweet syrup centre! These Homemade Classic Canadian Butter Tarts are a new favourite in our home! They can be made plain, with pecans, currents, or raisins. You can also play with the consistency of the filling. Some people love a runny filling and others swear by the stiff-filling tarts you can pick up and eat. It’s a bit of a debate. What is your favourite?

What are butter tarts

You would be hard pressed to find someone living in Canada who hasn’t eaten or at least heard of butter tarts.

This classic Canadian dessert can be found just about anywhere from the grocery store to a backyard barbecue. These little personal-sized pastries often make an appearance during special occasions but can be enjoyed any time of year!

If you have never had a butter tart before, they are similar in taste to sugar pie or pecan pie.

How to store butter tarts

Left out at room temperature

Left-over butter tarts can be stored, covered, on the counter top for 2 days. After that move any left-overs to a longer storage option.

Fridge

Yes, you can store your left-over butter tarts in the fridge.

• Place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
• Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

How to freeze butter tarts

Butter tarts freeze well. Freezing is a great storage option if you want to make your butter tarts ahead of time. To store your butter tarts in the freezer,

• Place your tarts in a airtight container.
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• When you are ready to enjoy them, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost in the fridge for 24 hour.
• You can also uncover and allow to come to room temperature on the counter top over a few hours.

Butter tart variations

Like most traditional dishes, there are countless recipes and variations. Each one claiming to be the best. Butter tarts have not escaped this controversy! And butter tart lovers are very passionate on which side of the fence you fall, stiff or runny filling, raisins or plain.

If you are a lover of the stiff filled butter tarts that you can pick up in your hand and eat than hop over to this recipe!

In this recipe we are making the runny filling version and to give them an even more Canadian feel, I’ve added maple syrup. If you, however, prefer a more subtle flavour, just replace the maple syrup with more corn syrup.

As for the mix-ins, I’ll leave that up to you! Some people swear by plain butter tarts, without anything added in, just the pure sweet gooey filling. Others claim that raisins are a must for the perfect butter tart. If you want to add mix-ins the most popular are raisins, sultanas, currents, or chopped pecans.

Raisins, sultanas, and currents will all soak up some of the liquid as the butter tarts are baking, making the filling thicker and less runny. So keep that in mind when you are deciding on how thick you would like your butter tart filling to be.

The outside tarts in the muffin tin will cook quicker than the inside tarts, this will also make the filling of inside tarts thinner. You can remove the outside tarts first and then return the inside tarts to the oven if the filling is still not set.

How to make Maple, runny filling, butter tarts

Tart Shells

2 ¾ cups flour 410 g

1 Tablespoon white sugar 12 g

½ teaspoon baking powder 2.5 ml

1 teaspoon salt 5 ml

1 cup unsalted butter, fridge cold 225 g

¼ cup cold water 60 mL

2 teaspoons vinegar 10 mL

1 egg

Butter tart Filling

¾ cup corn syrup 175 mL

¼ cup maple syrup 60mL

¾ cup brown sugar 150 g

¼ cup soft butter 60 g

2 eggs

pinch of salt

½ cup Mix-ins raisins, currents, sultanas, or chopped nuts (optional)

Method

Tart shells

1. In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix.
2. Cut the cold butter into cubes, and drop it into the flour mixture, through the funnel, while the food processor is on low.
3. Mix the vinegar in with the water and add to the food processor, through the funnel, while it is on low. (You may need all or part of it.)
4. Mix a few seconds, until just comes together.
5. Form into two disks and cover in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Remove from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface.
7. Cut into disks, with a large cookie cutter or the rim of a large cup, that will fit the size of your muffin tin.
8. Form the dough disks into each cup of the muffin tin.

Butter Tarts

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C)
2. In a bowl that you can easily pour from, (I used a large glass measuring cup), add the butter and brown sugar. Mix to combine.
3. Mix in the corn syrup and maple syrup.
4. Add salt and mix in the eggs.
5. If using mix-ins, arrange these into the bottom of the tart shells.
6. Pour the filling into the tart shells, leaving a little bit of space at the top.
7. Put the tarts in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 375 ºF (190 ºC).
8. Bake 20 minutes or until they have a slight bubble and puff a little.
9. Allow to cool before serving.

If you are looking for some more Canadian cuisine you have to try Nanaimo bars or make this bread that is popular in the Canadian East-Coast! Old Fashioned Oatmeal Molasses Brown Bread.

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