Butter Tarts

1 hours 30 mins Prep Time

30 mins Cook Time

Written By

Robin Winship

Nothing screams a Canadian summer like homemade butter tarts. With a golden and flaky shell, filled with a runny brown butter and sugary confection -- there is nothing quite comparable to the indulgent treat. A quintessential Canadian dessert, butter tarts hail from cottage country. I myself have fond memories of eating the famed butter tarts from Marty's -- a local favourite for pastries and other baked goods in Bracebridge, Ontario. Unfortunately, Marty's closed years back, but if you are missing their gargantuan tarts or have yet to try one, check out this recipe for Marty's World Famous Butter Tarts!

Ingredients

Butter Tarts

Pastry Dough
3/4 cup butter or 1 1/2 sticks, melted
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups corn syrup, slightly warmed in microwave
3 eggs
1 1/4 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Pastry Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/2 lemon, zest of
1 lb lard, cold (Tenderflake)
1 egg, separated

Directions

Pastry Dough

7 Steps

Step 1

Whisk flour, salt and lemon zest together in a medium sized bowl.
Step 2

Cut in the cold lard with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture becomes crumbly throughout.
Step 3

Mix lemon juice and egg yolk together in a measuring cup and top with ice cold water until line reaches the 1 cup mark.
Step 4

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until foamy.
Step 5

Make a well in the flour mixture.
Step 6

Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the well. Take a fork and gradually incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. Form into a ball of dough being careful not to overwork the dough as you want the pastry to retain its flakiness. Add the egg whites and continue forming. You can adjust with more flour or water if necessary to attain the right consistency.
Step 7

Divide the dough into two balls, wrap with plastic and chill for at least 1 hour before using. I used one ball for the tarts and the other I froze to have on hand.

Butter Tarts

9 Steps

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease muffin tins (whatever size you have on hand) with neutral oil.
Step 2

Roll out pastry dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, dusting your work surface and rolling pin as you go. If your dough is too firm to work with, let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Step 3

Depending on the size of your muffin tin, cut out circles from the dough. If you don't have round cutters, you can eyeball the size by using a ruler for diameter measurements and a paring knife (this is how I cut out mine).
Step 4

Re-roll your pastry scraps and cut out again.
Step 5

Fill the pans and set in fridge to keep cool while you prepare the filling.
Step 6

In a stand mixer, add the melted butter and sugar, beat slowly for 2 minutes.
Step 7

Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Add to prepared tart shells.
Step 8

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, the filling should boil slightly and the crust should look golden brown.
Step 9

Cool for 1-2 hours in the pan and remove with a butter knife.