Award Winning Butter Tarts Recipes

AWARD-WINNING MAPLE-NUT-TOFFEE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Combine egg yolks and milk in a small bowl; stir into flour mixture until dough is blended.
• Press dough, using lightly floured hands, into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the unpricked shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Place pan on a large baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, maple flavoring, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir pecans, walnuts, and almonds into the batter.
• Remove shell from the oven, leaving oven on, and fill with batter.
• Return tart to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave oven until melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Drizzle tart with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened and filling is firm.

AWARD-WINNING BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare muffin pans by rolling out pie dough and cutting 4-inch (approx) circles; fit dough circles into muffin cups; set aside in fridge until ready to fill.
• In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup; stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed.
• Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
• Drain raisins.
• Retrieve tart shells and divide raisins equally into all shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts.
• Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling.
• Canadians fall into two camps about butter tarts and are quite loyal to their favourite type: runny or firm.
• I like runny-- the type that dribbles when you bite into one; if you like firm, bake them for the full 20 minutes, even adding another minute or two if you wish.
• Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool.

PRIZE BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare pastry dough; cut in circles and line 3-inch tart pans with pastry circles.
• Combine balance of ingredients.
• Spoon mixture into unbaked pastry lined pans, filling each no more than 2/3 full (if the filling bubbles over it makes one heck of a mess!). Bake for 20 minutes or until filling has cooked and pastry is golden.
• Notes: This can be made without the raisins or nuts, but they are very plain.
• I generally make these with a combination of nuts and raisins.
• Craisins can be substituted for the raisins.
• For Jam Tarts: Line tart pan cups with pastry.
• Fill cups 1/2 full with your choice of jam.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.