What do you get when you cross an American Pecan Pie with a British Treacle Tart? They are small enough to be eaten in a few heavenly bites. They have a crisp, crumbly shell with a sweet soft filling... any guesses yet? Its Butter Tarts, eh! Whether you like them plain, with nuts, raisins or both, it just wouldn’t be the holiday season in Canada without them.

These butter tart are easy to make, but there are a couple of important steps. The dough needs to be tender and flaky when baked, which means no kneading. Using the stand mixer makes the job of cutting in the cold butter easier, but you could also use a food processor or go "old school" and use your finger tips. In order to make sure it stays tender when baked, the dough needs to rest after being worked. This means some down-time after you initially make the dough (60 minutes) and after the tart shells are rolled out, cut and pressed into the baking pans(10 minutes). The filling on the other hand is far less complicated to make. The skill lies in being able to tell when the filling is ready. Not enough time in the oven means runny filling, too much and the filling may set up too firm. My personal preference is for a soft just set butter tart, so 18-20 minutes in the oven seems to be ideal.

Butter Tarts
Makes 24 tarts
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes plus dough chilling time

For the Dough:
2 ½ cups (625 mL) Compliments All Purpose Flour [1]
2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) Compliments European Flavoured Culture Unsalted Butter [2], cold and cubed
¼ cup (63 mL) +/- ice cold water

For the Filling:
2/3 cup Compliments European Flavoured Culture Unsalted Butter, melted
2 cups (500 mL) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) Compliments Pure Vanilla Extract [3]
½ cup (125 mL) 10% cream
½ cup (125 mL) Compliments Sultana Raisins [4] (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) Compliments Chopped Walnuts [5], toasted (optional)

1. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, blend together the flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the water while blending just until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, gather it up into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap and refrigerate or one hour.
2. On a clean floured surface, gently roll out the dough and cut it into 24 x 4" (10 cm) circles. Gently press the dough circles into muffin tins, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
3. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a bowl mix together the melted butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla extract. Stir in the cream along with the nuts and raisins if you are using them, ad divide the filling evenly between the tart shells.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, the pastry should nicely browned and the filling set. Remove the tarts from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

‘Tis the Season to bake some butter tarts, so get to work!

Happy Cooking
Chef Ryan Skelton