Butter tart-inspired biscuits

A tasty twist on a favourite Canadian dessert!

I was asked by a friend to come up with a sweet treat similar to butter tarts but without eggs due to a family allergy. Rather than trying to reinvent the characteristic butter tart filling, I decided to go in a slightly different direction. With their crisp, flaky pastry and sweet filling, these biscuits are somewhat cookie-esque, in a great way. They are really easy to make and make a great alternative to my classic butter tart or butter tart squares. They’re super portable too, for packed lunches or picnics. If you wanted to get fancy, you could serve these biscuits with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt and a drizzle of caramel or butterscotch sauce. And if you feel you must add raisins to this recipe, I recommend halving the amount of pecans and adding no more than 1/4 cup (60 mL) of currants.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry (approximately 8 x 10 inches / 20 x 25 cm)
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) very soft butter
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) smoked sea salt (optional but delicious)

Method

• Place thawed but still cold puff pastry on a clean sheet of parchment paper and carefully spread very soft butter evenly over the whole surface of the pastry.
• With your fingers, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the whole surface of butter-covered puff pastry, then sprinkle chopped pecans over top.
• Starting from the side closest to you, gently roll the pastry and toppings into a tight log shape, pinching at the far edge to gently seal. If the puff pastry is soft and hard to roll, place the topped pastry, parchment paper and all, on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up.
• Wrap the log in the parchment paper you were using as your work surface and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.
• Alternatively, wrap the log in plastic wrap, making sure it is completely enclosed in the plastic, and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the chilled log. If working with a frozen log, let thaw for several hours in the refrigerator before cutting.
• With a sharp knife, trim off rough ends at either end then slice into pieces that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (1.25 to 2.15 cm) wide (I got 12 pieces from my log). Lay the cut pieces down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. Remove pan from oven and using a small spatula, immediately flip biscuits over so the sticky filling that has oozed out the bottom is now on top.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of smoked sea salt then let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for 2 days or in the freezer for up to one month.

Make approximately 12 biscuits.