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Homemade butter tarts with raisins and pecans on a wire rack. One has a bite out of it and the gooey center is oozing out.
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5 from 82 votes

Canadian Butter Tarts

Have you ever made or tasted Canadian butter tarts? They’re a real Canadian classic so if you love butter tarts, you just have to try this recipe. The homemade pastry shells contain a sweet, vanilla-scented filling with nuts and raisins for the perfect flavour.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: Canada Day, Christmas
Servings: 15

Ingredients

Pastry Dough

Filling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Cube the butter and shortening for the pastry dough.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the following pastry dough ingredients: flour, cubed butter, cubed shortening, light brown sugar, and salt.
  • Using a pastry cutter, forks, or even your fingers, cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles crumbs the size of peas.
  • Mix the apple cider vinegar and 4 Tablespoons of ice water into the dough, continue to mix adding additional Tablespoons of ice water as needed until the dough comes together.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
  • While the dough is chilling you can make the filling. Start by combining the light brown sugar, light corn syrup, egg, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
  • Add the melted butter and mix again, set aside.
  • Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and unwrap. On a clean surface, roll the pastry dough to be about ¼” thick.
  • Use a round cookie cutter that is approximately ½” to 1” larger than the opening of your mini tart pan cavities or mini muffin pan cavities. Cut as many rounds out of the dough as possible, re-roll any remaining scraps of dough and cut additional rounds until no more dough remains.
  • Fill each cavity of the tart pan with a round of dough, gently pressing it into the sides and bottom of the cavity,
  • Sprinkle just a few raisins and pecans into the bottom of each pastry.
  • Spoon the filling on top of the raisins and pecans in each of the pastry lined tart cavities. Only fill about ¾ of the way full with the filling. You want to make sure there is a little space for the sugars to bubble up.
  • Bake on a lower rack in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops have caramelized and the edges of the pastry are just starting to become golden. Remove from the oven and let the tarts cool completely before removing from the pan.

Notes

To get the cute crinkly dough top use a cookie cutter with crinkly edges. Use a cookie cutter that is approx ½” to 1” larger than the opening of the tart/muffin tin spaces. My tart pan has openings roughly 2.5” and they are approx ¾” deep. The cookie cutter I used was 3”.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

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