Butter tart muffins

A fun twist on a classic Canadian treat!

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about quintessentially Canadian foods and of course butter tarts sprang to mind. While I love my butter tart and butter tart squares recipes, I thought it was time to try my hand at butter tart muffins which I recently saw on the menu at a local café. I am firmly NOT on ‘team raisin’ but you could add in a cup or so when cooking up the butter mixture (if you must). Unlike traditional butter tarts, I find these muffins, even with the drizzle of maple syrup at the end, to not be overly sweet, making them a super breakfast or brunch option.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (110 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup (115 g) salted butter, cubed
• 2 room temperature eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) light cream or milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups (140 g) chopped toasted pecans
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) maple syrup, to brush on after baking

Method

• Place butter in a medium-sized, heavy-duty saucepan. Melt butter over medium heat then stir in brown sugar. Whisk in beaten eggs, cream and salt then cook, continuing to whisk frequently, until mixture is bubbling and thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly, stirring a few times as it cools.
• While butter mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 375F and line 9 muffin pan compartments with paper liners.
• Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add in slightly cooled butter mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in 1 cup (115 g) of the nuts just until incorporated.
• Using a muffin scoop or two spoons, fill muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle remaining nuts over the tops of the batter, pressing in slightly so they will stick to the muffins when baked.
• Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of muffin comes out clean, about 15-16 minutes (note that they will not rise as much as most traditional muffin recipes).
• Remove pan from oven; use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of each muffin them brush about 1 teaspoon of maple syrup over each one.
• Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
• Fully cooled muffins may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Makes 9 muffins.