Butter Tart Squares
These are the best butter tart squares! These have a buttery shortbread crust and a layer of gooey brown sugar filling. You can add in walnuts, raisins, currants or leave them plain. Easier, quicker and more delicious than the original. This recipe can make 15 large bars or 36 more reasonable sized bars.
Servings: 15
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Butter Tart Filling
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar*
- 4 cups pecans (you can sub in walnuts and also add in currants and/or raisins)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Base Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a 9x13" pan with parchment (only because it will make lifting out the finished bars easier).
- In a large bowl beat the butter and icing sugar until fluffy; mix in the flour (the mixture will be thick) and press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top looks set and is a pale, golden color (you'll maybe only notice the colour change around the edge). Remove from the oven and leave the oven turned on.
Filling Layer
- Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zest in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until the butter is melted, stirring, then raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes; remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, vinegar and pecans.
- Pour the mixture over the partially baked crust and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top looks set and is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing (to ensure clean cuts and that the bars are set).
- When ready to slice, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper. Place on the cutting board and slice using a sharp knife.
Notes
1. The vinegar helps to cut the sweetness of the recipe - I add it to my butter tarts so I thought this would be a good addition.
2. Feel free to substitute currants, raisins or chopped walnuts instead of (or in addition to) the pecans.
3. You can substitute corn syrup or pure maple syrup for the honey but it will change he consistency.