Do You Know About Butter Tarts?

The Canadian answer to the (Qream) cupcake/Congo bar/electricity?

Picture pecan pie, the dessert that women’s magazines always attempt to warn you about in their mandatory ‘Making Better Choices at Thanksgiving Even Though it Only Happens Once a Year and Is Ultimately a Meaningless Predictor of Your Weight’ articles.

(You know, the one where they say, ‘consider green beans almandine instead of sweet potato casserole covered in marshmallows! White meat turkey has slightly less fat than a drumstick, at a mere one-eighth the flavor! Don’t forget to eat a piece of string cheese and twenty raw almonds before leaving home’?)

Anyway, pecan pie. Subtract the small protein and fat boost provided by…the pecans. Leaving you with just the oozy base. Now, instead of the more moderate pie-crust portioning of an actual pie, imagine that oozy base encased in individual flaky hugs of crust. Slightly caramelized on top so you crunch through a crisped-sugar layer down into the aforementioned ooze.

Sometimes, there are raisins. That’s disgusting.

You can learn to make them here (no raisins, though!). Or, you know, emigrate after President Bachmann sends you to a re-education camp. Whatever. It’s not all poutine, is what I’m saying. We have other starches to offer the world, too.

Photo via Flickr