Butter Tarts, Nutty Treats

Tired of Christmas cookies? Don't have the energy for the gingerbread house? Have I got the holiday confection for you.

It is the butter tart, a humble yet spectacular little nosh that's relatively obscure in America but ubiquitous in Canada, especially in Ontario. As the Canadian artist Charles Pachter once said, "As the croissant is to France and the doughnut is to America, the butter tart is to Canada."

A butter tart consists of a pastry shell filled with a mix of brown sugar, eggs, and, despite the name, a relatively small amount of butter. As you bite into one, the flaky pastry crust gives way to the sweet, sticky filling (some of which may drip down your chin, depending on how runny it is).The tart is just chewy enough to make you keep working on that first bite before diving in for another.

Most Canadian sources say butter tarts originated in Canada, possibly as a variation of the sweet, sticky pecan pies that freed American slaves brought with them to Canada in the late 1800s. But the online food encyclopedia Practically Edible (practicallyedible.com) flatly declares, "It's a myth that butter tarts were invented in Canada," and explains that the tarts were developed in Scotland and then came to Canada with Scottish immigrants.

Them's fightin' words to most Canadians, who have a relatively limited culinary heritage and are mad for butter tarts. But whatever the tarts' provenance, Canadians now claim them as their own. And they take seemingly boundless pleasure in debating the finer points of butter tart protocol: runny versus firm, fruit (usually currants or raisins) versus no fruit, nuts (usually walnuts) versus no nuts.

Here in America, it's much simpler: While I have my own preferences (firm, currants, a light scattering of finely chopped walnuts), there's really no such thing as a bad butter tart. However you make them, they're an unqualified delight - and a welcome change from the usual holiday pastries.

Butter Tarts

This recipe represents the best aspects of the several butter tart formulations I tried. It is not completely traditional because most Canadian recipes call for the pastry dough to be made with Tenderflake lard, a shelf-stable Canadian product with no clear American corollary. I substituted Crisco's 0 Grams Trans Fat shortening - a surprisingly good product - and got excellent results.

Another nontraditional touch worth considering: Add a tablespoon or two of your favorite whiskey to the filling mix, or sprinkle half a teaspoon of whiskey directly onto a finished tart just before eating it.

FOR THE DOUGH
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound shortening
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Water

FOR THE FILLING
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup currants, if you like
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, if you like

1. First, make the dough: Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with two knives or a pas try blender, until the mixture resembles coarse meal or peas.

2. In a 1 cup measure, combine the vinegar and egg. Add enough water to fill the 1 cup measure. Gradually stir the liquid into the flour mixture, adding only enough liquid to make the dough cling together (you may have some liquid left over). Use your pastry blender or knives to mix the liquid in well. Gather this into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, blend together the butter and brown sugar.Stir in the eggs,corn syrup,and vanilla, along with the currants, if you're using them. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 375-. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a biscuit cutter (or an inverted can, or glass) to cut 12 4-inch rounds, and position the rounds in a muffin tin, crimping a bit as necessary, to form little "cups" of dough. Use a ladle to fill the cups about two-third full with the tart filling. Sprinkle with walnuts, if you're using them. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden (the longer the tarts bake, the less runny they will be). Let the tin cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then scoop out the tarts from the muffin tin with a spoon and let them cool for 10 minutes more. Serve while still warm.

SERVES 12