Award Winning Butter Tarts Recipe

Name: Award Winning Butter Tarts
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: Serves 1 or more
Ingredients: enough pie dough for 12 tarts; ½ cup raisins; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup packed light brown sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup light corn syrup; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Recreate the legendary butter tarts from Wilkie's Bakery in Orillia, Ontario! Winner of a 1970s national Canadian contest, this recipe delivers the perfect balance of sweet and buttery goodness. Choose your preferred texture – lusciously runny or delightfully firm – and customize with raisins, walnuts, or both! This isn't just a recipe; it's a taste of Canadian history.

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 65 mins

Calories 84.1 kcal

Protein 1g

Rating 4.3 (146 Reviews)

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Recipe adapted from Food.com. Standardized by Forktionary.

Ingredients for Award Winning Butter Tarts

enough pie dough for 12 tarts
½ cup raisins
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup light corn syrup
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

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How to Make Award Winning Butter Tarts

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Roll out pie dough to ⅛ inch thickness and use a 4-inch cookie cutter or glass to cut out 12 circles.
Gently press dough circles into 12 muffin cups.
Refrigerate tart shells for at least 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine ½ cup raisins and cover with hot tap water. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter and ¾ cup packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in ½ cup light corn syrup and ¼ teaspoon salt until well combined.
Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
Drain the raisins well. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional) to the drained raisins.
Evenly divide the raisin and walnut mixture among the prepared tart shells.
Pour the butter mixture evenly over the raisin and walnut mixture in each tart shell, filling almost to the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is lightly browned and bubbling. For a runnier tart, bake for 15 minutes. For a firmer tart, bake for 20 minutes or slightly longer.
Let the butter tarts cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.