Award-Winning Butter Tarts Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Can you use margarine instead of butter for tarts? ›

Thanks for the A2A: Yes, you can substitute margarine, but it may be a slightly different amount that you need to use. You'll also have a slightly different textured product at the end. Unlike butter, margarine is oil based.

Butter tarts that are runny may be underbaked or may not contain enough egg. Eggs help thicken and stabilize butter tart filling while it bakes, which is why I've included two whole eggs in my recipe to ensure the filling is thick and fully set once baked.

Butter Tart Ingredients

Brown sugar: The sweet filling starts with brown sugar. Butter: A stick of butter lends richness and flavor. Eggs: Eggs add moisture and help bind the filling together. Mix-ins: Raisins and chopped walnuts add texture and flavor.

Sucrose naturally wants to crystalize, which is how granulated sugar is made from simple sugars like fructose and glucose. To reduce the amount of crystallization in the butter tart filling when baking, try adding some acidity (i.e. lemon juice or 1 spoon of corn syrup).

In baking, melted margarine could work in recipes that call for melted butter, but in recipes that call for softened butter, swapping in tub margarine may change the texture; for example, cakes will be less tender, and cookies will generally spread out more and be less crisp.

When making a pie or tart there is no need to grease the tin before you line it with pastry – the high butter content in the pastry will naturally stop it from sticking to the tin.

Spoon into unbaked tart shells, filling about 2/3 full. Bake at 200F for 15 min, then without taking the tarts out, turn the oven to 350°F Bake another 10-15 min, until they start to brown. This method will prevent them from boiling over.

Raisins - I add raisins in my butter tarts but you can omit them completely or use currants or chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds instead. You could even try chocolate chips!

-- To avoid "gritty" butter tarts, caramelize sugar first by blending on the stovetop with butter, syrup and vanilla. Let it cool before adding eggs to the mixture or they'll be scrambled.

Why are butter tarts a must try? ›

You could be forgiven if you've never eaten a butter tart. There is no flashy frosting or elaborate lattice to entice you. It's easy to pass by. But Canadians will tell you that these diminutive treats hold an expanse of flavor and textures: flaky pastry, caramelized crust and a bracingly sweet filling.

If the filling is runny and flowing out of the tart when you cut into it, then it is likely that the curd was not cooked for quite long enough.

Fill pre-baked tarts about 3/4 full each. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes, or until they just start to bubble on top. They will bubble over if you bake them too long, and you won't get the gooey or oozy filling. Most filling recipes are the same ingredients all around.

If you roll the dough too thin, your filling may find a tiny crack somewhere at the bottom, gluing down the tart as it bakes. When this happens, you are screwed. The tart is stuck in the pan.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, butter tarts are a result of the filles du roi, or the King's Daughters, who were young French women sent to Quebec in the 17th century.

Margarine often has a lower saturated fat content and higher water content than butter does causing it to be much softer when cold. Because of it softer property, margarine can cause cakes to be less tender and cookies will generally spread out more and be less crisp when compared to the same recipe using butter.

You can use cold unsalted margarine for the butter if desired, or you can use 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening.

In large mixing bowl, add softened margarine, buttermilk, vegetable oil and butter buds flavoring. Mix on slow speed until well mixed. Put in a container with lid in refrigerator.

Butter melts at body temperature, and as such, the tasting experience is a superior flaky pastry, with a 'melt in the mouth' sensation. Margarine, on the other hand, melts at a higher temperature resulting in a waxy feel in your mouth (kind of like an unpleasant film or coating), and it produces tougher baked goods.