We’ve already brought he rest of the world Canada’s classic Butter Tart. Now, it’s time for 2.0: What cookbook author Tara O’Brady calls culinary alchemy. We’re pleased to share what she’s learned in her quest for the absolute ULTIMATE Butter Tart!
Approaching perfection…
It’s specifically an Ontario (Central Canada) specialty. And the Butter Tart begs special attention to some of its finer points if perfection is to be approached.
More than just a bakery-aisle option, the Butter Tart is a make-at-home legend and a beloved tradition in its homeplace.
“It’s something that always was in the background of my childhood, and then in my adulthood, it came from the background to the foreground,” O’Brady told Yahoo! Canada. “Even now, if I go by a bakery, and they proudly advertise ‘best butter tarts,’ I always have to pick some up and bring them home.”
Her ‘secrets’ exposed!
O’Brady starts off with a simple, commonsensical suggestion re.- the pastry. If pastry making is a travail for you, don’t let that put you off making Ontario’s Little Golden Gem. Store-bought short crust pastry will do just fine. The secret to the best Butter Tarts is in the filling…
Maple Syrup is absolutely required for totally authentic Butter Tarts. But O’Brady bows to the realities of the 21st Century. She allows that corn syrup, or a mixture of brown sugar and corn syrup, can be substituted if coast is a paramount consideration for you.
O’Brady suggests using a spouted pitcher – a measuring cup would be ideal – to fill the tart shells. You’ll reap major dividends in tidiness, presentation-worthiness and even the cleanup afterwards of you keep the sticky mixture off the rims of the pastry and the spaces between cups.
She also suggests filling the shells only about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up to avoid messy ‘boil overs’.
If you find the flavour profile of the classic filling too sweet, O’Brady has a hint: “You do not taste sour, but it is that magic alchemy that happens when you have a lot of fat and just that little bit of lemon juice [1/2 a tsp.] or a little bit of something that’s going to lift it,” she shares.
My take
I was aware of some of O’Brady’s hints and tweaks before reading the source post for todays FFB offering. But I must say, I’m moved to make a batch of Butter Tarts soon to test the others.
I’m particularly interested in testing her technique for ‘fixing’ filling that’s too sweet. And I’m also ashamed to say, I never thought to use a measuring cup to fill the shells before! This one will spread far and wide in my recipe repertoire, to many other dishes that require ‘filling’!
As many of O’Brady’s tips and tweaks encourage us, don’t let anything dissuade you from making your own Butter Tarts!
~ Maggie J.