Butter tarts are pure decadence wrapped up in individual parcels. One is usually enough to satisfy that sweet craving without leaving you feeling guilty for having indulged. There is always room for a butter tart….Do you like yours plain,with raisins or with pecans? My preference is raisins, but I am beginning to like the pecan version as well.
Butter tarts are the exception to my dislike of making pastry. When the craving for butter tarts strikes it outweighs the fact that I will have to make pastry. I should have this craving more often because then maybe my pastry rolling skills would actually improve. My pastry usually turns out nice and flaky but it is just an intimitading process for me, I would much prefer to make bread dough than pastry dough. So if I want butter tarts then pastry rolling it is!
But enough of my lamenting, the pastry is made, cut and fitted into their little pockets and then it just takes a few minutes to whisk together the filling. This recipe doesn’t include corn syrup like many butter tart recipes call for. I find that using the cream thickens the filling just enough that isn’t doesn’t run down your chin when you take that first bite.
If you are going to add raisin or pecans, I usually place them in the unfilled shells and then add the filling on top, that way it doesn’t overflow. If you make different kinds, then you can place just a piece of pecan or a single raisin on top of the tart as soon as it comes out of the oven so that folks can tell them apart.
Hope you enjoy these butter tarts as much as I did…past tense…they are all gone now…craving satisfied for now. I did share …really I did.
- 1 recipe double crust pie dough
- 1½ c packed brown sugar
- ⅔ c salted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (whipping)
- ½ cup raisin or chopped pecans if desired
- Make up your favourite pie crust and cut 24- 5" rounds to fit into a muffin tin. I like to brush flour on the underside of the rounds to ensure the tarts don't stick. Fit them carefully into the muffin tins.
- Cover tarts with plastic wrap while you mix together the filling.
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- In a large 2 cup measuring cup melt the butter in the microwave until just melted.
- Stir in the brown sugar.
- Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla and heavy cream.
- Place a few raisins or pecans in bottom of shell if using.
- Spoon into tart shells until just ½ to ⅔ full.
- Bake in a 425 ℉ for 10 minutes or just until the crust is turning golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Let rest in tins for 10 minutes.
- Run an offset spatula around the crusts and carefully lift out and place on cooling rack.
These look amazing, i will definitely make them! Would they be freezer friendly?
I have never tried to freeze them before Jen, but I don’t see why not. I would bake them first and then freeze them. Let me know how it turns out if you try.
They pass the freezer test! Turned out very well! Delicious
YEAH!!