Christmas Recipes For the Last Minute Panic People: Butter Tarts (2024)

FAQs

Why are my butter tarts soggy? ›

If your butter tarts unfortunately turn out too soggy, it's likely your filling was too watered down or your pastry was rolled too thin. Next time, make sure your pastry is only rolled out to a 1/4-inch-thickness. It may take a couple tries to perfect your butter tart, and that's totally OK!

Next time you make butter tarts, mix the filling by hand, as overmixing incorporates air into the eggs, which causes the filling to rise and overflow, and then collapse when removed from the oven.

If you use frozen tart shells like I do you can have a batch of yummy bite-sized desserts made in no time flat (don't thaw the shells before baking them). You can definitely make your own tart shells if you're one of those gifted people who can make great pastry.

You could be forgiven if you've never eaten a butter tart. There is no flashy frosting or elaborate lattice to entice you. It's easy to pass by. But Canadians will tell you that these diminutive treats hold an expanse of flavor and textures: flaky pastry, caramelized crust and a bracingly sweet filling.

A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom. (Using metal is crucial: Glass or ceramic pans don't transfer heat as efficiently, so they can be accomplices to a sad, soggy bottom.)

These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts. They bear some resemblance to the American pecan pie and British treacle tart, but their uniquely rich flavor sets them apart.

Can you put butter on a Pop-Tart®? Yes! Our fans love to put butter on their Pop-Tarts®, which many say creates a whole new level of mouthwatering flavor.

Butter Tart Filling

Golden Corn Syrup and White Vinegar: react with the sugar to prevent it from crystallizing. Butter tarts can be made without corn syrup and vinegar, but they will have a slightly crispy, crystal-y top.

#Tip 1: Cold Butter:

This is what keeps your crust crisp. If you use room temperature or melted butter, your tart won't turn firm and crisp. If you want it flaky, cold butter is the trick. You can make the same recipe with room temperature butter and wonder why it turned soggy and soft.

While pie is still hot fill with a paste made from 1 part butter 2 parts flour. Gently and carefully fill crack and smooth bake for 5-10 min until dry at 375F.

What is a interesting fact about butter tarts? ›

Like many legendary dishes, the butter tart's origins are fuzzy. It's believed that filles à marier (“marriageable girls”) created a crude version in the 1600s. These newly arrived Québécois brides filled their French tarts with New World ingredients: maple sugar, freshly churned butter and dried fruit such as raisins.

The much-debated question when it comes to butter tarts. Some people hate raisins and therefore don't like them in their tarts. Others find raisins too sweet with the sugary filling so prefer using currants for a more tart edge or chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts.

Butter tarts are indeed a popular Canadian pastery. The phrase butter tart, as used in the song, is also slang for a woman's parts.

Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.

Too much butter in your baked goods would give them different texture (flat, greasy..).