Canadian Maple Butter Tarts

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3-4 tbsp ice water
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ½ cup raisins or chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Make pastry by combining flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Gradually add ice water, mixing until dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Roll dough on a floured surface to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut 12 circles slightly larger than muffin cups.
5. Press pastry circles into muffin cups, trimming excess. Prick bottoms with a fork.
6. For filling, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
7. Add raisins or pecans to each tart shell if using, then divide maple filling evenly among shells, filling ¾ full.
8. Bake 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is set but still slightly jiggly in center.
9. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.