November Cookie of the Month: Butter Tarts

It’s time for our November Cookie-of-the-Month. Can you believe this year is almost over?

This month’s cookie is based on a classic butter tart. Butter Tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert. The first written recipe for the tarts appeared in 1900 in The Women’s Auxiliary Cookbook. Butter tarts are a close cousin to our Pecan Pie (minus the nuts). The Canadian version also uses maple syrup (of course) instead of corn syrup. I like to think that the maple syrup is healthier than corn syrup. Hey, it comes from a tree (work with me here). Try and use a good quality “real” syrup when you make these.

Butter tarts are so important to the Canadian way of life that they were even featured on a Canadian postage stamp!

I put pecans in my version because I love a crunch in my baked goods, but feel free to omit the nuts and make these the traditional way.

This recipe uses ready-made pie crust. If you’d rather make your own, go wild!
Here’s the easy recipe:

BUTTER TARTS

Ingredients:

1 box refrigerated ready-made pie crusts
½ cup brown sugar packed
½ cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup butter (1 cube)
2 Tablespoons flour
Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray.

Unroll the packages of pie crusts carefully. Use a 3 inch round cookie cutter (or a jar lid, like I did) and cut circles out of each crust. Reroll scraps and cut more circles.

Press each circle into the wells of the cupcake pan. Set aside.

PC: Ann Kirsten

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, syrup, eggs, and vanilla together until blended. Set aside.

PC: Ann Kirsten

Place your cube of butter into a saucepan over medium heat and melt it until it steams and foams. Turn the heat down and swirl the pan gently. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn. When the butter smells like toasted nuts and is a light brown color, remove it from the heat.

Place a few tablespoons of the hot butter into your brown sugar mixture and whisk quickly. Then, add this mixture back to the butter pan very quickly, whisking constantly. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of flour and the nuts, if you are using them.

Fill your pie crust circles halfway with the filling because the filling puffs up. I over-filled mine, making them look a bit messy (or rustic, if you prefer). Under-filling will give you a neater tart if that matters to you.

PC: Ann Kirsten

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Let the tarts cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Enjoy these as is or add whipped cream for a delicious Thanksgiving treat! It’s perfect for your Thanksgiving table, or just to enjoy with a cup of tea on a rainy day. I think you’ll love these little tarts any time!