Cold weather and the holiday season mean that my oven’s often in use, baking all kinds of treats. Fancy cookies are all very well, and fun to give as gifts, but sometimes I just want something quick and easy, but still utterly delicious. That’s when I turn to my freezer, and pull out a batch of frozen tart shells, so I can bake quick maple tarts.
A note about those frozen tart shells – I hear that they can be hard to find. Me, I live within 20 miles of Canadian grocery stores, so I hop over the border and zip right to the freezer case, where I find perfect 3-inch tart shells in convenient packaging. I confess that I usually bring about 6 dozen home with me, because I have space in the freezer.
I get my maple syrup from a local producer; the trees grow within 50 miles of my house. You can use nearly any pure maple syrup, but you’ll get the biggest flavor if you use dark syrup. In the East, it’ll be labelled “grade B” or “grade A amber” — or, now that the USDA is standardizing labels, it might be “grade A | dark color & robust flavor”. You don’t want a harsh syrup, but dark has more flavor!
If you’re starting with frozen tart shells, maple tarts take less than 30 minutes start to finish. They’re delicious just as they are, though I hear some folks like them with a dollop of whipped cream. They’ll keep on the counter for 2 days or so, and in the fridge for longer, but I’ve never had a batch last that long. Try them yourself!
To make maple tarts, you’ll need to start with unbaked tart shells. I am quite happy to use frozen unbaked tart shells that I buy in Canadian grocery stores, but if I didn’t have any on hand, I’d simply use a recipe like this one from the Kitchn, and make my own. Tartlet pans are easy enough to find.
Well. Let’s say you are starting with frozen tart shells. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Set out the tart shells on a sheet pan. If you’re using frozen tart shells, just set them out; there’s no need to thaw them.
In a 4-cup measuring cup, beat the eggs only until the whites and yolks are well blended. Add the brown sugar, salt, and vinegar; mix well. Finally add the melted butter and maple syrup, and stir until combined.
Pour the batter into the tart shells – you should have just enough to fill each one. Bake the tarts for 7 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F and bake 6-7 minutes longer, until the fillings are bubbling.
Cool before eating. Store maple tarts, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Maple Tarts
Ingredients
- 20 3-inch tart shells
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- ½ cup maple syrup (dark or amber preferred)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- To make maple tarts, you’ll need to start with unbaked tart shells. I am quite happy to use frozen unbaked tart shells that I buy in Canadian grocery stores, but if I didn’t have any on hand, I’d simply use a recipe like this one from the Kitchn, and make my own. Tartlet pans are easy enough to find.
- Let’s say you are starting with frozen tart shells. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Set out the tart shells on a sheet pan. If you’re using frozen tart shells, just set them out; there’s no need to thaw them.
- In a 4-cup measuring cup, beat the eggs only until the whites and yolks are well blended. Add the brown sugar, salt, and vinegar; mix well. Finally add the melted butter and maple syrup, and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the tart shells – you should have just enough to fill each one. Bake the tarts for 7 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F and bake 6-7 minutes longer, until the fillings are bubbling.
- Cool before eating. Store maple tarts, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5. Bring to room temperature before eating.