Who made the butter tarts?

On a rare occasion, someone gives you a gift that changes your life.

Mine came in the form of a butter tart.
 
A number of holiday seasons ago, a friend shared her grandmother’s recipe for butter tarts with our book club.
 
If you’re unfamiliar with the butter tart, it’s simply one of the best things to come out of Canada. It combines the heavenly goodness of butter, sugar and cream in a tiny delivery system.
 
I don’t recall the first time I made these luscious treats, but the holidays at our house have never been the same.
 
I’ve mentioned that Christmas brings our adult children home. I am not sure how much of that the beloved butter tart is responsible for, but you might say it’s a buttery homing beacon of sorts.
 
​In our immediate and extended family, these sweet sensations are a source of joy and adoration … and speculation. For years, some folks thought I shaped each perfect little shell by hand. 😳

Flattering, but ha! Thankfully, those can be purchased in bulk from Cash&Carry.
 
My niece thought my daughter, who is a much better baker than me, was responsible for the butter tarts. I was a bit put out when I discovered I wasn’t getting the baked goods glory.
 
We’ve set the record straight, but it’s become a family joke too … “Who made the butter tarts?”
 
Lest you think I am exaggerating about the tiny tart’s place in our family, there’s even a song in its honor. My niece’s husband’s not-their-day-jobs band—Delusions of Grandeur—recorded this little ditty for their Christmas album.
 

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No matter who makes them, these tiny tarts are now forever part of our family.
 
So what are the lessons here? This holiday season:
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• Savor the little things.
• Keep traditions and family recipes alive.
• Treat your favorite people to their favorite things.
• Be thankful for the generosity of friends. 

An international love story
To what degree has my family adopted these Canadian treasures? They’re so Irish-American now that a butter tart graces the cover of the family recipe book my daughter made for her own grandparents. Thank you, Canada, and long live the butter tart!