Canadian Butter Tarts: Flaky Pastry Cups with Gooey Maple Brown Sugar Filling for Fall

Heat the oven to 425F with a rack in the lower third. Roll the chilled pastry to about 1/8 inch thick and cut twelve 4-inch rounds.

Serves 12

Ingredients

• Pastry for a double-crust pie, homemade or store-bought, well chilled
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in hot water 10 minutes and drained, or toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425F with a rack in the lower third. Roll the chilled pastry to about 1/8 inch thick and cut twelve 4-inch rounds.
2. Press the rounds into a standard 12-cup muffin tin so the pastry comes slightly above the rim. Chill the tin for 15 minutes while you make the filling.
3. Whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup and melted butter until smooth, then whisk in the egg, vanilla, vinegar and salt just until combined. Do not beat in air, or the filling will bubble over.
4. Divide the raisins or pecans among the pastry cups, then pour in the filling until each is about two-thirds full.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling and just set at the edges but still wobbly in the center. Watch closely in the last few minutes.
6. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around each tart and lift them onto a rack. The centers firm up to a soft, gooey set as they cool.
7. Store airtight at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
8. Butter tarts are one of the few desserts Canada can call entirely its own, with a printed recipe dating to a 1900 Ontario cookbook. Canadians argue fiercely over raisins versus pecans versus plain, and runny versus firm, and Ontario even runs butter tart trails and festivals every autumn devoted to the little tarts.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 14g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 200mg