Nanimo Bars

They are indeed popular, and the sad thing is that most people buy them and you just can't buy good Nanaimo Bars. I have tried them from a number of different bakeries and food outlets and they all suck compared to the real thing. My mother used to make them when I was a kid. One thing I learned a long time ago is that one is not enough and two is too many.

The other great Canadian sweet treat is Butter Tarts.

Dave, do you have a good recipe for Butter Tarts? They are a favorite of mine, but I've never made them.

TIA Wayne

Prepare sufficient pastry to line 15 medium size muffin cops. Do not prick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pour boiling water over 1/2 cups raisins or currents, let stand 5 minutes, then drain.

Stir together:

1/4 cup soft butter 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

Blend in 1 cup corn syrup

2 slightly beaten eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Stir in drained raisins

Fill tart shells 2/3 full and cook in oven 15-20 minutes until golden brown (do not allow filling to bubble).

• Exported from MasterCook *

Helen's Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Desserts Pastry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 Pastry -----FILLING----- 1 c Brown sugar 1 t Butter 1 t Flour 1 Egg 1 t Vanilla 1 pn Salt 1/2 c Nuts 1 t Water 1/2 c Raisins

1. Make pastry and line tart tin. 2. Cream butter, sugar and flour 3. Add egg and vanilla to creamed mix. 4. Add nuts, water and raisins. 5. Put mixture in pastry shells and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 min.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 212 Calories; 11g Fat (47.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol;

267mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Canadian Dairy Pies Tarts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 c Butter 1/2 c Brown sugar -- packed 1/2 ts Vanilla 1 Egg 1/2 c Corn syrup 1/2 c Raisins -- or currants 12 Tart shells -- lined with -pastry shells

"These tarts were the basis for Butter Tart Pie and Butter Tart Squares which appeared in later decades. Another variation uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup. ...Butter Tarts are uniquely Canadian. There are theories whether they were adapted from southern pecan pie, old-fashioned sugar pies, or maple syrup, backwoods or vinegar pies. Squabbles arise whether or not the tarts should be runny or not, and just how runny. Opinions differ about the use of syrup or sugar only, eggs beaten or not, currants or raisins, and how the tart pans should be filled."

In bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in egg and corn syrup. Spoon raisins into tart shells; pour in the filling, two-thirds full. Bake in 375F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. MAKES: 12 TARTS

SOURCE: The 1st decade chapter in _A Century of Canadian Home Cooking_ by Carol Ferguson and Marg Fraser

Original Poster Not Shown on File

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1431 Calories; 51g Fat (30.3% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 255g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 311mg Cholesterol; 759mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 4 Fruit; 9 1/2 Fat; 13 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Butter Tarts 1

Recipe By : Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Canadian Dairy Pies Tarts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 c Raisins 16 Tart shells -- baked 1/4 c Butter -- soft 1/2 c Brown sugar -- lightly packed 1/2 c Corn syrup 1 Egg 1 t Vinegar 1 t Vanilla Salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle raisins evenly in baked shells. In bowl, cream together butter and sugar; beat in corn syrup, egg, vinegar, vanilla and salt. Pour into pastry shells, filling each 3/4s full.

Bake in 400F oven for about 10 minutes or just till runny in centre. Let cool in pan for 1 minute, remove to rack and let cool completely.

Makes 16 tarts. Source: FOOD magazine From: Jim Weller Date: 30 Dec 95

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 85 Calories; 3g Fat (31.4% calories from fat); trace Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 47mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Butter Tarts 2

Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Pies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 c Butter -- softened 1 c Brown sugar 1 Extra large egg 1/8 ts Fresh lemon juice 1/2 c Currants 1 Batch pie pastry

Cream butter and brown sugar together. Beat in egg, lemon juice, and currants. Continue beating until mixture bubbles. Roll out Basic Pie Dough and cut rounds to fit 2-1/2" muffin tins. Line muffin tins with pastry. Fill tart shells 2/3 full with currant mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Recipe by: Elizabeth Powell

busted by H Peagram, converted by MM_Buster v2.0j.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 104 Calories; 4g Fat (36.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 50mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Butter Tarts With Sour Cream Pastry

Recipe By : Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Pastry Pies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- -----SOUR CREAM PASTRY----- 1 c Butter 1 1/2 c Flour 1/2 c Sour cream -----BUTTER TARTS----- 24 Tart shells formed from Sour -Cream Pastry OR 2 9" pie -crusts from pastry 1 c White sugar 1 c Seedless raisins 2 Eggs 1 t Vanilla 1/3 c Butter 4 tb Cream or half-and-half 1/2 c Broken walnuts

FOR THE PASTRY: Blend butter and flour until the consistency of coarse oatmeal. Add sour cream and blend until pastry begins to cling together. Divide doough in two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Let dough stand for about 5 minutes to remove the chill and ease rolling; roll out on a lightly floured board or on a pastry cloth. Fit into tart pans or pie pans.

FOR THE TARTS: Beat eggs. Combine with remaining ingredients except nuts, and biol at medium heat for 3 minutes. Add nuts. Fill unbaked tart shells and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees (F).

From the cook: "These butter tarts always had rave reviews. It was handed to me by a next-door neighbor who grew up in Val D'Or, Quebec. She used to look for me when I was walking home from school when she freshly baked them. I loved these tarts. Unfortunately she passed away a few years ago, but her daughter left me her recipe. She said that her mother always enjoyed having me over after school for tarts and milk, and she wanted to leave something behind for me to always remember her by."

From Alonzo Bartley, student in Mechanical Engineering, SUNY/Buffalo, in the 1998 Reporter recipe contest. Typed for you by Joan MacDiarmid.

From: Joan Macdiarmid Date: 16 Dec 98

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 153 Calories; 12g Fat (67.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 112mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Canadian Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Canadian Pies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 60 ml Butter 120 ml Brown sugar -- packed 3 ml Vanilla 1 Egg 120 ml Corn syrup 120 ml Raisins -- or currants 12 Tart shells

"These tarts were the basis for Butter Tart Pie and Butter Tart Squares which appeared in later decades. Another variation uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup. ...Butter Tarts are uniquely Canadian. There are theories whether they were adapted from southern pecan pie, old-fashioned sugar pies, or maple syrup, backwoods or vinegar pies. Squabbles arise whether or not the tarts should be runny or not, and just how runny. Opinions differ about the use of syrup or sugar only, eggs beaten or not, currants or raisins, and how the tart pans should be filled."

In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in egg and corn syrup. Spoon raisins into tart shells; pour in the filling, two-thirds full. Bake in 190 C oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned.

SOURCE: The 1st decade chapter in _A Century of Canadian Home Cooking_ From: Jim Weller Date: 01 Nov 98

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 121 Calories; 4g Fat (30.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Prize Winning Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Pies Tarts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- Pastry 1 1/2 c Flour 1/2 ts Baking powder 1/3 c Cold ice water 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Shortening

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 132 Calories; 9g Fat (59.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 109mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Runny Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Canadian Pies Tarts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 c Raisins 16 Tart shells -- baked 1/4 c Butter -- soft 1/2 c Sugar -- brown, lightly packe 1/2 c Corn syrup 1 Egg 1 t Vinegar 1 t Vanilla Salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle raisins evenly in baked shells. In bowl, cream together butter and sugar; beat in corn syrup, egg, vinegar, vanilla and salt. Pour into pastry shells, filling each 3/4s full. Bake in 400F oven for about 10 minutes or just till runny in centre. Let cool in pan for 1 minute, remove to rack and let cool completely. Makes 16 tarts. Source: FOOD magazine (now defunct)

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1476 Calories; 51g Fat (29.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 270g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 311mg Cholesterol; 730mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 2 Fruit; 9 1/2 Fat; 16 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

• Exported from MasterCook *

Traditional Butter Tarts

Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Canadian Pies Tarts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 c To 1/2 cup raisins 12 Tart shells -- baked 1/4 c Butter -- softened, room temp 1/2 c Brown sugar 1/2 c Corn syrup 1 Egg 1 t Vinegar 1 t Vanilla Salt

*** Do not try using margarine or shortening; only real butter will do in this recipe.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spoon the raisins into the baked shells. Cream together butter and sugar; beat in corn syrup, egg, vinegar, vanilla and salt. Pour into pastry shells, filling each one 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Bake about 10 min. or just till runny in the centre. Let cool in the pan for 1 min; remove to a rack and let cool completely.

Variations:

~1- Substitute currants or walnuts for a portion of the raisins. ~2- Substitute maple syrup for corn syrup. ~3- Bake a few minutes longer so that the centres become runny. ~4- Bake 15 to 20 min at 375. ~5- Make 6 larger deep tarts in muffin pans and increase cooking time accordingly.

A family recipe from Jim Weller.

From: (Local) Cooking & Recipes

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 104 Calories; 4g Fat (34.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 63mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

"MOM PEAGRAM" wrote in news:jmEkc.3884$ snipped-for-privacy@read1.cgocable.net:

Wow, Helen, now I have a whole bunch to try! They all sound good and will go directly to my recipe software. Butter tarts are one of my favorites!

Wayne

Well, enjoy, Wayne, but not too much or you'll be in my shoes.... on Weightwatchers! ; ))

Do all butter tarts contain raisins or currants? "Butter tarts" sound delicious; raisins and currants do not.

gloria p

Look back to the purism part of this thread. Butter tarts have currants. You may make some other sort of tart without them, but a real, true, genuine, make no mistake, butter tart is made with currants. All else is punishable by the Butter Tart God found in this household.

--Lia

I would like to add this little bit of trivia about Butter Tarts. When we visit our Daughter who lives about a good 1 1/2 hours drive away in Cambridge,Ontario, we go past a truck stop sort of coffee shop, and their specialty is Butter Tarts. They have a big notice board outside which is updated weekly as to how many they have made. Our last trip the total was just over 500.000 and that was 2 weeks ago. I guess a lot of people like Butter Tarts, they do vary them some have walnuts, some raisins some just plain butter stuff. qahtan,, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario,

Cholesterol;

I am surprised by the corn syryp in most recipes posted here. My filling recipe calls for 1 egg / 1 cup of brown sugar / 2 tablespoons butter / 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 cup of currents (rinsed and patted dry).

take care Liz

Hey! Look what Julia Altshuler wrote :

Ick, I was afraid you'd say that.

:-( gloria p

Salut Gloria

Leave them out if you prefer but the trad recipe has currants. Even the raisins are a deviation. I make them with finely chopped walnuts. Zee

From foodtv.ca

Caramel Butter Tarts Yield: 8 Ingredients:

Crust

2 1/4 cups pastry flour 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening 1 tsp lemon juice 1 egg 4 tbsp to 6 tbsp cold water

Filling

1 cup dried currants 1/2 cup hot water 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp white vinegar dash cinnamon 1/4 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup maple syrup

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar 1 tbsp golden corn syrup 1 tsp lemon juice 1/4 cup water 3/4 cup whipping cream 1 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: To Assemble BUTTER TARTS: Preheat oven to 375° F. For pastry, combine flour and salt and cut in lard until coarse and crumbly. Whisk lemon juice and egg and mix into dough until it just comes together. Wrap and keep at room temperature while preparing filling.

For filling, soak currants in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar and stir in eggs. Mix in vanilla, vinegar and cinnamon. Whisk in corn syrup and maple syrup.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to just shy of ¼-inch thick. Cut 6-inch rounds from pastry and line ungreased muffin tins, pressing in to ensure pastry gets into corners. Sprinkle a few currants in each shell and pour filling over, coming only halfway up. Bake tarts for 18 to 22 minutes, until filling is set. Allow to cool before removing from tin.

To serve, place butter tart on plate and drizzle with Caramel Sauce (directions follow).

Butter tarts will keep up to a week in an airtight container (if they last that long).

CARAMEL SAUCE: Bring sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice and water to a boil over high heat in a covered heavy-bottomed saucepot. Do not stir! Remove lid once boiling and let sugar cook, brushing sides of the pot right against sugar with cool water once or twice, until an amber colour. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in cream (watch out for steam). Stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Caramel sauce can be prepared ahead and chilled until ready to serve. Simply heat in microwave to warm. Carmel sauce will keep up to a week refrigerated. Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups.

It's entirely up to you what is added. Traditional butter tarts have raisins. But... they would be good with pecans or walnuts or whatever you decide to use.

And I always thought it was raisins.

Similar to mine. I posted a whole slew of recipes. Isn't amazing how many variations there can be?

"MOM PEAGRAM" wrote in news:LVNkc.3918$ snipped-for-privacy@read1.cgocable.net:

Ha! My SO and I were on WW from the day after last Thanksgiving until about a month ago when he went through quadruple arterial bypass surgery. We'll be getting back to WW in another couple of week. When I bake things like this, I now have to give all but 1 serving away! (It's still worth it just for the taste.)

Wayne

(recipe snipped)

Thanks! That sounds delicious. I have saved the recipe to use (with nuts, no currants)if we ever get off this low-carb diet.

:-(

gloria p

"MOM PEAGRAM" wrote in news:thYkc.3980$ snipped-for-privacy@read1.cgocable.net:

All the variations I've tasted were really very good, traditional or not, but currants or raisins are the most traditional from what I've since dredged up from "historical" searches. Pecans with this mixture would be very nearly like a traditional Southern USian Pecan Pie! Also very good, IMHO...

Wayne

Puester wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@worldnet.att.net:

You'll get off it fast if you one of these! :-)

A friend who has been low-carbing for quite a while "jolts" herself about every 3 months with 1 day of things like butter tarts, then goes strictly back on Atkin's. She says it helps to restart the process.

Wayne