I've had Butter Tarts on my to-bake list for a long time. I know that they are are beloved in treat in Canada but I've never had the opportunity to try one, so I've been curious what the fuss is all about. I finally decided to try a recipe from The New York Times.
The list of ingredients for this recipe is short. To make the crust, you cut cold cubed butter into a mixture of flour and salt; and add ice water, egg yolk, and vinegar. I chilled the dough before rolling it out and cutting it into circles that I used to line individual fluted tartlet molds that are two-and-a-half inches across. I had enough dough to make 15 crusts.
Raisins are an optional ingredient for this recipe and I know that people have strong opinions about whether or not they belong in butter tarts. I decide to leave them out. So my filling was just a mixture of brown sugar, salt, softened butter, vanilla, and an egg that I mixed by hand. I poured the filling into the tart shells and baked them (on a foil-lined baking sheet) for 17 minutes.
The filling expanded during baking and some of my tarts overflowed, with the filling spilling over the sides of the molds. Still, all of the tarts popped out of the molds easily. I thought my tarts looked messy, but it didn't bother me that much because the ones in the photo accompanying the recipe are also quite untidy.
I know that the inside of butter tarts can be gooey, but I didn't what to expect when I cut one open. I selected a baking time that the recipe said would result in firmer tarts. The inside of the tarts was glistening, with liquid that was protruding and appeared to be on the verge of seeping out of the tarts -- but it never did. Instead, the liquid seemed like it was suspended in time (it made me think of the pitch drop experiment).
The crusts were cooked through and flaky, and the tart tasted like a pecan pie without the pecans. I generally don't like pecan pie because I often find it to be too sweet, and these tarts were right on the edge of being too sweet without crossing the line; the flavor was almost maple-y. I liked the smooth, almost runny texture of the filling. I do think that the crust could have been thinner and if I made these again, I would attempt to roll the crust as thin as possible. Because the filling is so sweet and soft, I think that a firmer and crisper crust would provide a better contrast.
While I enjoyed these tarts, they didn't bowl me over. But I can imagine that I might prefer a version with raisins that gave the filing some more texture. Still, when it comes to little tarts that are a national treasure, Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts remain at the top of my list.
Recipe: "Butter Tarts" from The New York Times.
The list of ingredients for this recipe is short. To make the crust, you cut cold cubed butter into a mixture of flour and salt; and add ice water, egg yolk, and vinegar. I chilled the dough before rolling it out and cutting it into circles that I used to line individual fluted tartlet molds that are two-and-a-half inches across. I had enough dough to make 15 crusts.
Raisins are an optional ingredient for this recipe and I know that people have strong opinions about whether or not they belong in butter tarts. I decide to leave them out. So my filling was just a mixture of brown sugar, salt, softened butter, vanilla, and an egg that I mixed by hand. I poured the filling into the tart shells and baked them (on a foil-lined baking sheet) for 17 minutes.
I know that the inside of butter tarts can be gooey, but I didn't what to expect when I cut one open. I selected a baking time that the recipe said would result in firmer tarts. The inside of the tarts was glistening, with liquid that was protruding and appeared to be on the verge of seeping out of the tarts -- but it never did. Instead, the liquid seemed like it was suspended in time (it made me think of the pitch drop experiment).
The crusts were cooked through and flaky, and the tart tasted like a pecan pie without the pecans. I generally don't like pecan pie because I often find it to be too sweet, and these tarts were right on the edge of being too sweet without crossing the line; the flavor was almost maple-y. I liked the smooth, almost runny texture of the filling. I do think that the crust could have been thinner and if I made these again, I would attempt to roll the crust as thin as possible. Because the filling is so sweet and soft, I think that a firmer and crisper crust would provide a better contrast.
While I enjoyed these tarts, they didn't bowl me over. But I can imagine that I might prefer a version with raisins that gave the filing some more texture. Still, when it comes to little tarts that are a national treasure, Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts remain at the top of my list.
Recipe: "Butter Tarts" from The New York Times.
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