Try this Brown Butter Maple Tarts recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 17.6721750185148 g
- Cholesterol 18.1303571650668 mg
- Fat 6.73006357980728 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0.66737785725469 g
- Saturated Fat 4.26043714816349 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (43g)
- Sodium 69.5261429222504 mg
- Sugar 17.6721750185148 g
- Trans Fat 0.468414572015113 g
- Calories 132 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Unroll the pie crust dough and use a 3 inch circle cookie cutter to punch out 7 circles from each pie crust. Re-roll the dough if necessary. Place each circle in a muffin tin, set aside.
- Brown the butter by placing it in a saucepan over medium heat, melt it until it begins to steam and foam. (Keep a close eye on it as it foams.) Swirl it gently, watching the color. When it turns golden brown and releases the aroma of toasting nuts, immediately remove it from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and stir to combine.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crusts.
- Bake until puffed and browned, about 10-12 minutes.
How many tarts will this batch actually yield when scaling ingredients up or down for a larger gathering? Pastry scaling requires proportional adjustments, meaning every single component must multiply at an exact ratio to maintain structural integrity in standard muffin tins. Doubling the recipe from fourteen portions to twenty-eight requires careful management of pan space, as crowding ovens leads to uneven baking temperatures. Batch baking proves far more reliable than cramming multiple muffin tins onto a single oven rack where heat circulation gets restricted at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature control dictates success during the crucial butter browning phase, which determines whether the filling develops deep caramel notes or turns bitterly acrid. Milk solids contain water and proteins that separate, foam, and eventually brown under steady medium heat. Swirling the saucepan continuously prevents those precious milk solids from settling to the bottom and scorching within seconds. Removing the pan immediately upon sighting a golden hue halts residual carryover cooking before the butter crosses the line into burnt territory.
Pastry dough demands equal attention regarding temperature management during the circle-punching phase using a three-inch cutter. Chilling dough fragments before pressing them into muffin cups prevents the shortening from melting prematurely, which causes shrinkage during the twelve-minute bake time. Working with refrigerated Pillsbury crusts straight from the package keeps the fat firm and flaky rather than greasy and difficult to handle. Pressing the pastry gently into the corners avoids thin spots that would otherwise allow the liquid sugar filling to leak underneath.
Liquid fillings containing high ratios of maple syrup and brown sugar require precise oven monitoring to achieve that characteristic puffed top without overcooking the eggs. Eggs coagulate rapidly at high temperatures, so pulling the tins out precisely when the centers puff up ensures a custardy interior texture rather than a rubbery consistency. Allowing the miniature pastries to cool completely inside their tins lets the filling set structurally before transfer. Storing leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature preserves the crispness of the pastry shell for up to two days.
