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Stack of four homemade tarts with syrupy filling on white plate.

Old Fashioned Butter Tarts

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: butter tarts
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 296kcal
Author: Laureen King
The perfect butter tart recipe with sweet, slightly runny filling and flaky melt in your mouth pastry.
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Ingredients

Tart Pastry

  • 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
  • ¼-1/2 cup ice cold water

Butter Tart Filling

  • ½ cup soft butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup corn syrup golden
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Butter Tart Pastry

  • Sift flour, salt and sugar together.
  • Using a pastry blender cut butter into flour mix until it resembles course meal.
  • Add cold water a bit at a time until dough just starts to hold together. Adding too much water will make for a tough dough. Do not over-work the dough.
  • Press dough together forming a disk.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Roll out the pastry dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into sixteen 4-inch circles or twelve 5-inch circles.
  • Press the dough into muffin tins being careful not to stretch the dough.
  • Refrigerate until the filling is prepared.

Butter Tart Filling

  • In a large bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the butter is creamed and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add eggs, vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix well.
  • Fill the tart shells about ⅔ full with the filling.
  • Bake at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
  • The filling should be lightly browned and bubbling.
  • Let the butter tarts cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Notes

Store bought pastry tart shells will work as well. Add raisins or pecans if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 562IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg