Butter
tarts are a Canadian thing - a sweet goo with raisins or pecans (or nothing at
all) baked in pastry cups - here they are in bar form, which are far easier to
make in large quantities than individually rolled and filled tarts. To make them
even more festive, add a handful of dried or fresh cranberries, whose tartness
will cut through the sweetness of the filling. If you want these to slice
cleanly, freeze them
first.
Base:
1/4
cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown
sugar
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat
flour
pinch
salt
Topping:
1
cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. all-purpose
flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch
salt
1/3 cup honey, corn syrup or maple
syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp.
vanilla
3/4 cup raisins or currants (if you want to be
really authentic)
1/3 cup chopped
pecans
Directions:
Preheat oven to
350°F.
In a medium bowl,
stir together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add flour and salt and
stir until well combined and
crumbly.
Press into the
bottom of an 8” x 8” pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for
8-10 minutes, until just barely golden around the
edges.
Using the same
bowl (no need to wash it), combine the brown sugar, flour, baking powder and
salt. Add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and stir until well blended and
smooth. Stir in the raisins and
pecans.
Pour over the
base and return to the oven for 25–30 minutes, until golden and bubbly around
the edges but still slightly jiggly in the middle. The topping will puff up a
bit as it bakes and then settle again when you remove it from the oven. Cool
completely in the pan on a wire
rack.
Makes 16
squares.
