I enjoy Pecan Tarts, but each time we have them, Joseph reminisces about Butter Tarts and Pecan Butter Tarts from Canada. Well after vacationing in Canada I now understand why. I have spent the last week researching. The finished product was exactly what I was hoping for.

There are many debts on what Butter Tarts should be, thick or runny, thick crust or thin, pecans, raisins, or plan. We LOVE them with Bacon!

Pastry

1 cup cold Unsalted Butter
1/3 cup Powder Sugar
2 ½ cups Flour
½ – 1 cup cold Water

Directions

Combined powdered sugar, and flour. Cut butter into small pieces and cut into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter. Gently fold in water ¼ cup at a time until it forms a ball of dough. (You don’t want to dough too wet.) Refrigerate for 15 – 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface to just under a ¼-inch thick and cut into a circle. Line each muffin cup with the pastry so that it comes about ½-inch higher than the muffin tin and chill the lined tin while preparing the filling.

Filling

1 cup Unsalted Butter
¾ cup Brown Sugar
¾ cup Maple Syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
3 Tbsp – 1/3 cup flour (use more for thicker tarts)

Toppings

½ cup Chopped Pecans
½ cup Chopped Bacon

Directions

In bowl, whisk the eggs with the maple syrup, vanilla and salt and set aside.

Stirring continually melt the butter in a saucepot over medium heat until it starts to turn brown. Add brown sugar and continue stirring until the mixture returns to a boiling. Remove the pot from the heat.

Slowly pour in the hot sugar mixture over cold mixture while whisking constantly until incorporated. (Do not combined to quickly or the eggs with cook.) For thicker tarts whisk in flour. Ladle filling into each prepared shell and sprinkle topping choice.

Bake the tarts for 10 minutes at 400 F, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust edges have browned. Cool the tarts in the tin and after about 5 minutes, carefully twist them around in the pan to prevent sticking and keep them in the pan until completely cooled. The butter tarts should be stored refrigerated but are best served at room temperature. The tarts can be stored chilled for up to 3 days.

Variation Butter Tart Bars

Make ½ a batch of the pastry. Divide in half and press into 2 – 9×13 pans. Refrigerate while you preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divided the filling in half and top as desired. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool the tarts in the tin and after about 5 minutes, carefully go around in edges of the pan to prevent sticking and keep them in the pan until completely cooled. The butter tarts should be stored refrigerated but are best served at room temperature. The tarts can be stored chilled for up to 3 days.