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Golden Canadian butter tarts cooling on a wire rack with glossy caramel filling and visible raisins in a rustic kitchen

Homemade Canadian Butter Tarts with a Gooey Filling

Flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a buttery, caramel-sweet filling that stays gooey in the center once baked and cooled.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 12 tarts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: North American
Calories: 435

Ingredients
  

Pastry
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter (225 g); cubed
  • 1 egg yolk large
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 3 ice water to 4 tbsp
Filling
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (115 g); melted, slightly cooled
  • 1 cup brown sugar (200 g); packed
  • 2/3 cup corn syrup (160 ml)
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup raisins (100 g); soaked in warm water 10 minutes, drained

Method
 

Make the Pastry
  1. Whisk the flour, salt and granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cut in the cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, vinegar and 3 tbsp ice water together. Pour into the flour mixture and stir gently until the dough just holds together, adding the last tablespoon of water only if needed.
  3. Turn the dough out, pat it into a disk, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
  1. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Add the corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, vinegar and salt, whisking until fully combined and slightly glossy.
Assemble and Bake
  1. Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well.
  2. Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 3 mm thickness. Cut 12 rounds with a 4-inch / 10cm cutter and press each into a muffin cup.
  3. Scatter a few drained raisins into the bottom of each pastry shell.
  4. Pour the filling into the shells, filling each about two-thirds full to leave room for puffing.
  5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is puffed and bubbling at the edges, the pastry is golden brown, and the centers still jiggle slightly.
  6. Cool the tarts in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The filling firms up as it cools, so resist checking doneness right out of the oven.

Notes

  • Use a 4-inch / 10cm cutter for pastry rounds to fit standard muffin cups.
  • Grease the muffin tin well even if the pastry seems non-stick.
  • Filling keeps setting as tarts cool, so don't judge doneness straight from the oven.
  • Room-temperature eggs blend into the filling more smoothly than cold ones.