Butter Tart Squares

July 1: Canada Day

Visiting some of Highlander’s relatives in Canada is always a treat—literally—especially when they serve treats from his country of birth. They want to remind him of his roots and share cultural cuisine with us since we are foodies. One distinctive dessert from Canada is butter tarts, a pastry invented in the pioneer era. We transformed the traditional tarts into squares for a sweet stacked snack to celebrate Canada Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Robin Hood)

For the base crust

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour

Directions

Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment or waxed paper, leaving a little overhang as the “handles” to lift the dessert out of the pan later. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Mix in the flour until it sticks together.

Press into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Make the topping.

For the topping

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Mix in the corn syrup, eggs and vanilla.

Blend in the flour and baking powder. Sprinkle the raisins and chopped walnuts over the base crust. 

Pour the filling over the raisins and nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Lift the dessert out of the pan using the parchment or waxed paper “handles”. Cut into 16 squares.

Notes

• The raisins and walnuts are optional but we added them to the recipe. The raisins add a nice chewy texture and the walnuts counter the sweetness of this dessert.

No-Churn Butter Pecan Ice Cream

July: National Ice Cream Month

Have you ever taken one of those personality quizzes based on your favorite flavor of ice cream? One such test, an “ice cream flavorology study”, was developed by Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, the neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, Ltd., in Chicago, Illinois. National manufacturer Edy’s Grand Ice Cream commissioned him to determine how ice cream flavor preferences relate to people’s personalities.

Islander’s favorite flavor is butter pecan and Highlander likes chocolate (see our blog post recipe for no-churn chocolate ice cream). We read Dr. Hirsch’s amusing analysis of our personalities based on the ice cream flavors we chose and, while they do fit us, we do not feel bound to those descriptions, as we enjoy eating other flavors of ice cream, depending on our moods.

During National Ice Cream Month, have some fun and take the personality test. And while you’re at it, enjoy eating some homemade no-churn butter pecan (or other favorite flavor) ice cream from the recipe provided below. Stay cool!

Recipe

(Adapted from Noreen’s Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 1 cups pecans (chips, pieces or half nuts), toasted
• 2 cups heavy cream, whipped
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon butter extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small pan, toast the pecans, being careful not to burn them. Let cool and set aside. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In a large bowl, pour the condensed milk.

Stir in the melted butter, maple syrup and extracts.

Add the salt. Fold in the whipped cream and toasted pecans and blend well. Pour mixture into a large loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer, scoop and enjoy!

Notes

• National Ice Cream Day is also celebrated on the third Sunday of July.
• Search our blog for other no-churn ice cream recipes.