What taste of childhood brings back good memories? How often do you indulge in both the taste and the memories?

Robert and I both grew up in Canada – about an hour away from Toronto, Ontario. Just before Christmas we drove from North Carolina to Ontario to visit my mom and Rob’s parents.

Canada USA Border Detroit

During the days we spent in Canada, I decided to bake something Rob loves, and would be a good gift for my father-in-law… It’s a taste from my childhood, and a recipe my mom had written out for me when I got married 31 years ago. I never really knew from where that recipe originated.

Butter Tarts – a taste of childhood!

When I asked my mom for her recipe, she pulled out a floppy, faded booklet from 1946.

Butter Tart cookbook

The butter tart recipe was in a compilation of recipes from the ladies at the St Mark’s Lutheran church in Waterloo/Kitchener Ontario. (In 1946/48) The church still is active – I wonder if some of those ladies are still here on earth or if they’ve passed into eternity… It was interesting paging through the cookbook, looking at the wording and the names.

What are butter tarts?

They’re single serving pastry shells, filled with a butter, brown sugar, egg, raisins and a touch of lemon to cut the sweetness.

butter tarts ingredients

I used prepared frozen tart shells. In Ontario, where I come from, it’s easy to find these frozen Tenderflake tart shells in the grocery store. When we lived in Texas, and in North Carolina, it wasn’t as easy to find any frozen tart shells, but I’m guessing the lady who originally provided the recipe made her own tarts shells!  So, I guess you could use a prepared pie shell, and cut out circles to put into muffin tins. (Or make your own from scratch!)

Here’s the recipe for the filling:

 

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon

Cream butter and sugar together. Add well beaten eggs, then raisins and lemon juice. Line tins with pastry. Fill 3/4 full with mixture. Bake at 425 degree Fahrenheit for 12 to 18 minutes.  (submitted by Mrs. H. Walz in 1946 )

Butter Tart Recipe taste of childhood

Rob enjoyed them immensely!

Butter Tarts eating them

What tastes from childhood do you still make today?

Is it easy to get the ingredients? Are the recipes from the original books, or do you have a paper copy you work from? (My personal recipe for Butter Tarts is written out by my mother, in her hand writing. I’m imagining that years from now, that hand writing will be doubly precious.)

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Butter Tart collage pin 2 taste of childhood