Canada’s National Dessert: Butter Tart | LOCAL Life | Hilton Head Island & Bluffton (2024)

All locals should experience one of the tastiest things to come out of the True North.

In a land not so far away, north of the 49th parallel, every bakery worth its butter, every cookbook, everyone’s grandmother knows the secret to heaven on earth. At least when it comes to sweet things. It’s called a butter tart: a magical alchemy of butter, eggs, sweetness and pastry.

According to Canada’s culinary archives, the first known recipe for butter tarts was called “Filling for Tarts” and was published in 1900 in a fundraising cookbook produced by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital in the rural Ontario town of Barrie. Thank you, Mrs. Malcolm MacLeod – a star was born!

Home cooks across Canada shamelessly copied that first recipe. Yet, to this day, every butter tart-baking Canadian will tell you their recipe is unique. Oh, and every butter tart-eating Canadian (which is basically all 35 million of them) will say their grandma’s/mom’s version is the best.

To honor Canada Day (July 1), and the large number of Canadians that now call the Lowcountry home, we humbly offer a recipe for this sweet Canadian delicacy.

Canada’s National Dessert: Butter Tart | LOCAL Life | Hilton Head Island & Bluffton (1)Canadian Butter Tarts

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons ice water
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon hot water
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Directions
Fill a cup with ice and water. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening to make pea-size pieces. Add the tablespoons of ice water from the cup until dough holds together. Form the dough into a ball. The dough is now complete. Put it into a plastic bag or wrap it up and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut the shells using a large glass or your smallest pot. You should have about 12 shells when finished. Put these shells into a greased muffin or tart pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put walnuts and coconut on baking pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until brown. Remove from oven and set temperature to 450 degrees. Fill the bottom of each tart shell with about 10 raisins each. Whisk together sugar, egg, butter, vanilla and hot water. Add coconut and walnuts. Pour mixture into tart shells, filling 2/3 full and no more. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before attempting to remove. Makes 12 tarts.

Have Btarts Shipped to Your Door

When Asher Weiss moved to the Lower 48, he couldn’t find his home country’s beloved national dessert anywhere. Founding Btarts, he now shares Canada’s iconic sweet pastry with Lowcountry residents and the rest of the United States. Subtly flavored with real maple syrup, Btarts’ handmade butter tarts are an irresistible sweet treat that are both gooey and flaky at the same time. Perfect at room temperature or heated up for the ultimate ooze, these tarts will make you wonder: where they b all this time? Order them online at www.eatbtarts.com.

Canada’s National Dessert: Butter Tart | LOCAL Life | Hilton Head Island & Bluffton (2)

The LOCAL Life Team had some fun sampling Butter Tarts, tasty little pieces of heaven courtesy of Btarts.

https://vimeo.com/277683618

Canada’s National Dessert: Butter Tart | LOCAL Life | Hilton Head Island & Bluffton (2024)

FAQs

What is the national dessert of Canada? ›

All locals should experience one of the tastiest things to come out of the True North. In a land not so far away, north of the 49th parallel, every bakery worth its butter, every cookbook, everyone's grandmother knows the secret to heaven on earth.

Why are butter tarts famous in Canada? ›

Butter tarts are most likely the result of a time period between 1663 and 1673 when about 800 young women were sent to Quebec from France. Of course, they brought over their traditional recipes, but they would have had to tweak them according to the ingredients they had at hand.

What are Canadian butter tarts made of? ›

Butter tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert—and, oh, how I love them! These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts.

What's the difference between a sugar pie and a butter tart? ›

Traditionally, the English Canadian tart consists of butter, sugar, and eggs in a pastry shell, similar to the French-Canadian sugar pie, or the base of the U.S. pecan pie without the nut topping. The butter tart is different from the sugar pie given the lack of flour in the filling.

What is Canada's most famous dessert? ›

1. Nanaimo Bar. Named after the city it was invented in (Nanaimo, British Columbia on the west coast of Canada), this no-bake dessert has been hailed as Canada's most iconic treat.

Are butter tarts sold in the USA? ›

Does America have butter tarts? Yes, any decent bakery will typically carry butter tarts, that quintessential Canadian pastry.

What does a butter tart taste like? ›

With a gooey, just-set filling made with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and eggs, butter tarts are hard not to love. They have comforting notes of caramel and butterscotch and are perfect when you want something small and sweet.

Why is butter so expensive in Canada? ›

Charlebois said the increasing cost of butter is due to the component butterfat, the natural fatty component in milk. Butterfat content plays a key role as one of the primary markers of a cow's health and overall wellness, and the more that is produced, the pricier it can get.

Do you keep butter tarts in the fridge? ›

Butter Tarts should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, they will keep for up to five days in the fridge. If you keep them at room temperature remember they will only keep for about a day or 2 depending on how warm your home is. To freeze, place them in an airtight freezer container.

What is a butter tart slang? ›

Butter tarts are indeed a popular Canadian pastery. The phrase butter tart, as used in the song, is also slang for a woman's parts.

Why doesn t Canadian butter melt? ›

To explain it simply, palm oil given to dairy cows increases the proportion of saturated fat in milk compared to unsaturated fat, thus increasing the melting point of butter. This explains why butter made from cows fed with palm oil remains difficult to spread at room temperature..

Why are butter tarts a must try? ›

They are a humble treat, made with ordinary ingredients, and spectacularly delicious. “If you look at the ingredients, it's really what you have in your pantry when you have nothing else,” said Liz Driver, the author of “Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825–1949.”

What is the history of butter tarts in Canada? ›

The History Of The Butter Tart

' Butter tarts were common in Canadian pioneer cooking. The earliest published recipe for a butter tart is from Barrie, Ontario dating back to 1900 in the Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook. Another early published recipe was found in a 1915 pie cookbook.

Why is a tart not a pie? ›

Pies are served straight from the dish in which they were baked. A tart is a sweet or savory dish with shallow sides and only a bottom crust. Tart crusts are usually made from pastry dough: traditionally flour, unsalted butter, cold water, and sometimes sugar. The goal is a firm, crumbly crust.

What sweet food is a symbol of Canada? ›

Maple syrup cans are seen at a sugar shack in Oka, Quebec. Behold the beauty of the classic maple syrup can, that icon of Canadiana. In the picture, a farmer collects sap into buckets, horses haul a sleigh through the snow, and smoke billows from the chimney of a rustic sugar house. It is Canada in a can.

What is Canada's national food? ›

What is Poutine? Poutine is Canada's national dish, which usually consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy.

What is America's national dessert? ›

The Delicacy Apple Pie - is the Official “National dessert of the United States of America” respectively. American Apple Pies are also sometimes considered the national dishes of the US.

What is a food desert in Canada? ›

Food deserts are neighbourhoods where residents' access to affordable and healthy food options is restricted or completely absent due to a lack of grocery stores within a reasonable distance of the neighbourhood.

Top Articles
Teeth Whitening and Red Light Therapy | Solei Salon
Explore All Dog & Puppy Breeds | Petfinder
Barstool Sports Gif
Www.mytotalrewards/Rtx
The UPS Store | Ship & Print Here > 400 West Broadway
Euro (EUR), aktuální kurzy měn
Mate Me If You May Sapir Englard Pdf
Crocodile Tears - Quest
Beautiful Scrap Wood Paper Towel Holder
Ribbit Woodbine
Stolen Touches Neva Altaj Read Online Free
Skip The Games Norfolk Virginia
Seafood Bucket Cajun Style Seafood Restaurant in South Salt Lake - Restaurant menu and reviews
Costco Gas Foster City
Hartland Liquidation Oconomowoc
U/Apprenhensive_You8924
Lcwc 911 Live Incident List Live Status
Jalapeno Grill Ponca City Menu
Vrachtwagens in Nederland kopen - gebruikt en nieuw - TrucksNL
My Homework Lesson 11 Volume Of Composite Figures Answer Key
We Discovered the Best Snow Cone Makers for Carnival-Worthy Desserts
Sea To Dallas Google Flights
Air Traffic Control Coolmathgames
Jobs Hiring Near Me Part Time For 15 Year Olds
Naval Academy Baseball Roster
Restored Republic June 16 2023
Wsbtv Fish And Game Report
Papa Johns Mear Me
4 Methods to Fix “Vortex Mods Cannot Be Deployed” Issue - MiniTool Partition Wizard
Catchvideo Chrome Extension
Stephanie Bowe Downey Ca
Pixel Combat Unblocked
Ilabs Ucsf
6465319333
Nail Salon Open On Monday Near Me
ShadowCat - Forestry Mulching, Land Clearing, Bush Hog, Brush, Bobcat - farm & garden services - craigslist
Pawn Shop Open Now
Indio Mall Eye Doctor
Complete List of Orange County Cities + Map (2024) — Orange County Insiders | Tips for locals & visitors
Birmingham City Schools Clever Login
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant Showtimes Near Grand Theatres - Bismarck
Lamont Mortuary Globe Az
Courtney Roberson Rob Dyrdek
'The Nun II' Ending Explained: Does the Immortal Valak Die This Time?
Makes A Successful Catch Maybe Crossword Clue
Theater X Orange Heights Florida
Hillsborough County Florida Recorder Of Deeds
Lesly Center Tiraj Rapid
3367164101
SF bay area cars & trucks "chevrolet 50" - craigslist
Lira Galore Age, Wikipedia, Height, Husband, Boyfriend, Family, Biography, Net Worth
Www.card-Data.com/Comerica Prepaid Balance
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5940

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.