Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Flaky Lard Pastry
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g lard, very cold, cubed
- 3 g salt
- 45 ml ice water
- 5 ml white vinegar
Gooey Filling
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 5 ml white vinegar
- 2 g salt
- 75 g raisins
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 251 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 180 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 50 mg
- Potassium
- 94 mg
- Calcium
- 23 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 8 mg
- Phosphorus
- 42 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 48 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 15 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut the cold cubed lard into the flour using a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Combine the ice water and white vinegar. Drizzle over the flour mixture, gently tossing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Form into a flat disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease the 12-cup muffin tin if it is not non-stick.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, melted unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and salt until completely smooth.
Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness. Cut out circles using a 10cm round cutter. Gently press the pastry circles into the cups of the muffin tin, taking care not to stretch the dough.
Divide the raisins evenly among the bottom of the unbaked tart shells.
Pour the liquid filling over the raisins, filling each tart shell no more than two-thirds full. Do not overfill, or they will bubble over and stick to the pan.
Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 13 to 15 minutes. The pastry edges should be golden brown and the filling bubbly. For a runnier center, pull them at 13 minutes; for a firmer set, leave them until 15 minutes.
Allow the tarts to cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each tart to loosen any caramelized sugar, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Using lard is traditional for Canadian butter tarts; it yields an exceptionally tender and flaky crust that resists becoming soggy from the liquid filling.
- The tiny splash of white vinegar in the filling is an old-fashioned baker's secret. It does not make the tarts sour, but it cuts the intense sweetness of the brown sugar just enough to balance the palate.
- To achieve the perfect gooey center, err on the side of underbaking rather than overbaking. The residual heat in the pan will continue cooking the sugar and eggs.
- If your brown sugar is lumpy, sift it or rub it vigorously between your fingers before whisking in the wet ingredients to ensure a perfectly smooth filling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Keep in an airtight container to prevent the crust from softening.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a sealed container.
Reheating: Thaw at room temperature. For a gooey center, warm in a 150C oven for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Tarts are permanently stuck to the muffin tin
Cause: The filling boiled over the edges of the pastry, caramelizing and fusing the tart to the metal pan.
Fix: While the pan is still quite warm, carefully run a thin, flexible knife around the edges to break the sugar seal.
Prevention: Ensure pastry has no cracks, and strictly fill the shells only two-thirds full.
Pastry is tough instead of flaky
Cause: The dough was over-handled, or the lard was allowed to get too warm before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Handle the dough as little as possible and ensure the lard and water are freezing cold.
Cultural Context
The butter tart is one of Canada's most quintessential and culturally significant desserts, with origins tracing back to pioneer days in Ontario during the early 1900s. A highly debated topic among Canadians is whether a true butter tart should contain raisins, nuts, or remain completely plain. The contrast between a brittle, flaky pastry shell and a slightly runny, caramel-like center defines the perfect execution of this national treasure.
