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Maple Bacon Butter Tarts

bacon butter tarts 4

It’s Canada Day Eve! Which means, traditionally, I’m baking butter tarts. This year I decided to make bacon butter tarts. Maple bacon butter tarts, even.

bacon butter tarts 2

I know, it’s been said that bacon has jumped the shark. But this makes sense – salty bacon with sweet maple syrup and brown sugar – this is a perfect fit, and oh so Canadian. I’ll be bringing a large batch to our friend’s annual Canada Day party tomorrow. If the reaction at the CBC studio this morning was any indication, they’ll go fast.

bacon butter tarts 3

A few ways to up the bacon ante: replace some of the fat in the pastry with chilled bacon drippings, or drizzle some into the filling in place of some of the melted butter. Although I usually default to my grandma’s butter tart recipe, I decided to use the one from the Five Roses Cookbook, which I recently learned was on the shelf in 650,000 Canadian households back in 1915.

bacon butter tarts 1

Of course, this tart is as tasty (if not as bacon-y) made with the traditional currants or raisins, chopped pecans, or nothing at all. Happy Canada Day, eh?

Bacon Butter Tarts

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

Pastry
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (or half butter, half lard), chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup cold water
Filling
2 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple or Roger's Golden syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. lemon juice or cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup(ish) chopped cooked, crumbled bacon, currants, raisins or chopped pecans

1

To make the pastry, in a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender, fork or your fingers (or pulse in the food processor) until well blended, with some pieces of fat the size of a pea. Drizzle in enough water to make the dough hold together - you'll likely need almost all of it. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

2

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/8-inch thin; cut into 3-inch rounds with a cutter or glass rim and fit into muffin cups. Reroll the scraps only once to get as many as possible. Preheat the oven to 375F.

3

To make the filling, in a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, lemon juice and salt, stirring until smooth.

4

Sprinkle some chopped, cooked bacon, currants, raisins or pecans into the bottom of each pastry cup and fill with the filling mixture, filling almost full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the pan while the tarts are still warm.

Category,

Ingredients

Pastry
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 Tbsp. sugar
 1/2 tsp. salt
 1 cup butter (or half butter, half lard), chilled and cut into pieces
 1/2 cup cold water
Filling
 2 large eggs
 1 cup brown sugar
 1/2 cup maple or Roger's Golden syrup
 1/3 cup butter, melted
 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or cider vinegar
 1/4 tsp. salt
 1/2 cup(ish) chopped cooked, crumbled bacon, currants, raisins or chopped pecans

Directions

1

To make the pastry, in a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender, fork or your fingers (or pulse in the food processor) until well blended, with some pieces of fat the size of a pea. Drizzle in enough water to make the dough hold together - you'll likely need almost all of it. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

2

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/8-inch thin; cut into 3-inch rounds with a cutter or glass rim and fit into muffin cups. Reroll the scraps only once to get as many as possible. Preheat the oven to 375F.

3

To make the filling, in a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, lemon juice and salt, stirring until smooth.

4

Sprinkle some chopped, cooked bacon, currants, raisins or pecans into the bottom of each pastry cup and fill with the filling mixture, filling almost full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the pan while the tarts are still warm.

Bacon Butter Tarts
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16 comments on “Maple Bacon Butter Tarts

  1. Jules @ WolfItDown
    June 30, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    Julie – Why do you dooo this to me? These look absolutely divine, and the filling mixture, mighty heavens, these will be a winner for Canada Day for sure, and this little Scottish-based Norwegian is dying to try them! Airmail?
    I hope you have a fantastic time with your friends and family 🙂 x

  2. Grandma Kc
    June 30, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    Looks delicious! Are bacon lovers here in the States allowed to make them?! Thanks!

    • Julie
      July 2, 2014 at 10:16 am

      Of course Grandma KC!!

  3. Cheryl
    July 1, 2014 at 8:41 am

    So I am trying to make these tarts this morning and my dough is totally crumbly and I used the amount of water in the recipe…plus a tiny bit more but my dough just won’t stick together. What am I doing wrong with it? My husband is trying to work it together right now but that will likely just make it tough I assume?? Grrr…finding this darn dough so frustrating…any tips appreciated! Thanks…and Happy Canada Day!

    • Julie
      July 2, 2014 at 10:16 am

      Oh no Cheryl! That should be enough water.. and yeah you don’t want to overwork it, or it will become tough! Did you perhaps use too much flour? Regardless, getting a feel for how much water brings the dough together will help. It should be more than enough.. I was just looking around at other recipes to see their ratios, and Martha Stewart uses the same amount of flour and fat and only 3 Tbsp. water! Which doesn’t seem like nearly enough.. http://www.marthastewart.com/326897/basic-pastry-dough

  4. Kirsten
    July 1, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    OMG Happy Canada Day to you too!!!! These are unbelievably great! Just made 24 minis and have enough ingredients for 24 more – a little bite of can heaven. Not sure if they are appies or dessert, both really! I didn’t even wait until they cooled, they smelled so beautiful. I am taking them to a party and feel proud already!

  5. jeri
    July 1, 2014 at 8:51 pm

    Happy Canada Day! Way to combine all the best of your food culture in one dish. This native New Yorker is seriously tempted to defect to the North.

  6. michal jerry
    July 2, 2014 at 4:22 am

    Happy Canada Day!

  7. Heather
    July 2, 2014 at 7:51 am

    OMG – these look so yummy! I wished that I’d seen these yesterday, as I would have made them for my Canada Day BBQ. I am living in The Netherlands and I had all of my Canadian friends over and we celebrated with Maple Leaf Top Dogs (smuggled in I might add), caesars made with Motts, Old Dutch Potato Chips (Ketchup of course!) and other favourite Canadian BBQ fixings. This would have blown my red velvet with cream cheese frosting cupcakes out of the water for a desert!

    Oh well, next year!

  8. Susan
    July 2, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    I too have the same trouble with pastry that Cheryl does. I add more liquid because where I live, it is very dry and the weather does effect how it. Just keep trying small amounts until it comes together and take note of the amount. I then write it on the recipe for future reference. Good luck !

  9. Cheryl
    July 6, 2014 at 3:34 pm

    Thanks for the answer back Julie…and Susan! The tarts ended up delicious of course…but that dough was so crumbly. Not sure if I used too much flour…I think I followed the recipe but will be extra careful next time. I am afraid that where I live is no excuse for me Susan…I live in central NW Calgary…so same area as Julie!!

  10. Kelsey
    November 16, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    OMG! This was my first time ever making butter tarts, and this recipe was amazing! They turned out perfect, and my family won’t stop raving about them. The dough was light and flaky, with such a rich sweet filling. Thank you Julie!

  11. Kalista
    April 28, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    My fav!!! I’m not going to lie I absolutely hate making dough (although I have done it a lot before) So i usually use Tenderflake puff pastry sheets and roll it out thinner. It’s my personal preference as I don’t like the dough to thick. I’m pregnant and baby loves these! Although it is hard to get to them before my hubby does! Last time he ate 6 before the second batch was done!

    • Julie
      April 30, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      Whatever works!!

  12. Joanne Berg
    November 4, 2019 at 2:30 pm

    Can you use frozen tart shells?

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