Canadian Gooey Butter Tarts
A Canadian tradition, gooey butter tarts are right at home no matter where you're from. They are a delicious, warm and wonderful dessert, and they are fun for any occasion - parties, picnics, or simply "just because."
Notes
Variations:
- Chocolate Gooey Butter Tarts
- Drizzle cooled tarts with 2 ounces of melted semisweet or white chocolate.
- Drizzle cooled tarts with 2 ounces of melted semisweet or white chocolate.
- Not-So-Gooey Butter Tarts
- Increase brown sugar to 3/4 cup; decrease corn syrup to 1/4 cup.
Cooking Time12 min
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cold butter; cubed
- 1/4 cup shortening; cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ice water
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup currants, raisins or chopped pecans
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine flour with salt with pastry blender or 2 knives.
- Cut in cubed butter and shortening until in fine crumbs.
- In 1-cup liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup.
- Gradually sprinkle egg mixture over flour mixture, stirring briskly with fork until pastry holds together.
- Press into disc; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled or for up to 3 days.
Filling
- In bowl, vigorously whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, softened butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt. Set aside.
- On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8-inch thickness.
- Using 4-inch round cookie cutter (or empty 28-ounce can), cut out 12 circles, rerolling scraps, if necessary.
- Fit circles into 2-3/4-x 1-1/4-inch muffin cups.
- Divide currants among pastry shells.
- Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.
- Bake in bottom of 450F-degree oven for about 12 minutes or filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden.
- Let stand on rack for 1 minute. Run metal spatula around tarts to loosen; carefully slide spatula under tarts and transfer to rack to let cool.
