An Heirloom Recipe: Granny’s Perfect Butter Tarts
Written by Grace Lovekin
We’ve got the inside scoop on the only butter tart recipe you’ll ever need, straight from Granny’s recipe note.
If Granny were alive today she would be 97 years old and would still be making these tarts for every family gathering, holiday celebration or just because she thought you looked too skinny last time she saw you.
Butter tarts are one of Canada’s most iconic desserts; simple, rich and endlessly debated. They’re consistently ranked as one of the most beloved Canadian foods, mentioned alongside poutine which was conceived of in Quebec and British Columbia’s Nanaimo bars.
Every Canadian claims their grandmother makes the best tarts. Despite the differing opinions and various recipes, butter tarts must have these three things in common: a pastry shell, a buttery sugary filling and eggs for structure. The filling is meant to be runny to semi-set, however, never firm. There is no legal definition, but most people agree that the center of a butter tart must be “gooey”. There are many recipe variations made throughout Canada, but the single most controversial issue in Canadian baking is with or without raisins?
Did you know that the earliest known printed recipe of a butter tart dates back to the year 1900, where it was published in The Women’s Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook in Barrie, Ontario? And, although raisins were not listed in the original recipe, currants were. Butter tart historians believe that currants were a practical choice at the time but over the years people have added raisins instead, as they are a more accessible ingredient.
This recipe is so easy you’ll be able to make both versions (with and without raisins) to best decide which version will become part of your personality. This commitment will guide you in your decision making in the aisle of every grocery store and be a crucial decision which you will live and die by for the rest of your life. There really is no right or wrong answer, but there is…
RECIPE
For Granny’s Butter Tarts you’ll need the following ingredients:
1 cup of corn syrup
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup of raisins (or not!)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Assembling the tarts is quite easy because Granny says you can buy the frozen premade shells at the grocery store, which means all you have to do is make the filling. This recipe makes 2 dozen tarts, which seems like a lot but trust us, you’ll wish you made more.
1. Add sugar and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil until the sugar crystals dissolve and the mixture looks foamy. This will take 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Drop in the butter. Smaller pieces melt faster.
4. In a large bowl with a spout for pouring, beat eggs.
5. Pour the syrup, sugar and butter mixture over the eggs. SLOWLY is underlined so it must be important. Mix until combined.
6. Add in salt, vanilla and raisins.
7. Fill tarts 3/4 of the way full for a perfect bake. Use a spoon to ensure each tart has an appropriate amount of raisins; Granny says no less than 4, no more than 8.
8. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (or 204 degrees Celsius) for the first 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 177 degrees Celsius) for the last 12 minutes. The pastry should be golden.
9. Granny says, DO NOT OVER BAKE.
Ontario has two major self guided culinary road trips called the Butter Tart Tour, and the Butter Tart Trail. Both focus on visiting bakeries, cafes, farm stands and shops that make exceptional butter tarts. It is a network of participating stops across regions famous for their traditional or variations of the Canadian classic. You can follow up to 5 different smaller regional tours or attend festivals in search of the best butter tart recipe. Not to mention, you can also ingest 4000 calories a day, easily.
Canadian’s don’t just eat butter tarts, we celebrate them, debate them and many of us believe it’s what makes us Canadian.
Despite which side of the butter tart fence you sit on, we can all agree that they might be the sweetest part of being Canadian.