Lowen Cakes

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

• Butter: For both the crust and filling — it gives that golden flavour and flaky texture.
• Brown Sugar: Deepens the caramel note and balances the maple.
• Pure Maple Syrup: The hero ingredient. Choose 100% pure maple syrup for authentic taste.
• Egg: Binds the filling for that soft, custardy texture.
• Flour & Salt: A simple all-purpose base that keeps the pastry crisp.

Tips for the Perfect Butter Tarts

Keep the dough cold: Cold butter = flaky crust. Chill before rolling, after cutting, and again before baking.

Don’t overwork: Handle dough just enough to come together. Overmixing = tough crust and shrinkage.

Rest before pressing: After cutting rounds, let them rest 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.

Dock the base: Prick each shell lightly with a fork to release steam and prevent puffing.

Don’t overfill: Three-quarters full is perfect. Too much = bubbling over.

Watch for colour: The edges should be golden and the filling should just wobble in the center.

FAQ

Why did my tarts shrink?
Usually from overworking the dough, not resting it, or baking from room-temperature pastry. Chill thoroughly before baking to prevent this.

Can I use corn syrup instead of maple syrup?
You can, but maple gives deeper flavour. If using corn syrup, reduce sugar by about 2 tbsp.

How do I make them gooey?
Bake until the centers just wobble — about 25 minutes for a soft gooey texture, up to 35 for a firmer set.

🧊 Storage Tips

• Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate for 5 days.
• Rewarm at 150°C (300°F) for 5–7 minutes to restore the gooey center.
• Freeze up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before reheating.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 190 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 115 g (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) ice water, plus 1–2 tsp extra if needed

For the Maple Filling

• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 160 g (¾ cup) packed brown sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• Optional: 60 g (½ cup) raisins or chopped pecans

Directions

1. Make the pastry:
   • In a bowl, whisk flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly with pea-sized bits. Add 3 tbsp of ice water, mixing just until dough holds together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill 20 minutes.
2. Roll and cut:
   • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 3 mm thick.
   • Cut 10 cm (4 in) rounds, then rest them 10 minutes.
   • Press gently into a greased 12-cup muffin tin. Chill another 20–30 minutes.
   • Dock the base of each shell once or twice with a fork.
3. Make the filling:
   • Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until smooth. Add egg, vanilla, and salt; whisk until glossy.
4. Fill and bake:
   • Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Place a few raisins or pecans (if using) into each shell, then fill about three-quarters full (roughly 2½ tbsp per tart).
   • Bake 25–35 minutes, until crust is golden and filling puffed but slightly jiggly in the center.
5. Cool and release:
   • Cool 10–12 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around each edge and gently twist to lift onto a wire rack. Filling will set as it cools.

Notes

To prevent shrinkage: rest cut dough rounds 10 minutes, dock bases, chill well, and avoid overworking scraps.

If using a cooler oven, aim for 30–35 minutes until pastry is golden.

For easy removal, loosen edges while still slightly warm — once fully cooled, the caramelized syrup can glue to the tin.

Re-rolling dough more than once toughens it. Gather scraps lightly, roll once, and stop there.