Butter Tarts

May 29, 2020

I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by my Nona’s delicious cooking and baking. While I grew up on Italian favourites like spaghetti & meatballs and risotto passed down to my Nona from her mother, the vast majority of the recipes that would come to be considered household and holiday staples in our family were taught to my Nona by her Scottish mother-in-law. At 18 years old, my Italian-Canadian Nona Anita married my Scottish-Canadian Nono Archie (I believe, "Nono" was simply chosen for consistency, because Nona and Grandpa just doesn't have the same ring to it). My Nona married into the Fraser clan and came to learn how to make all the Fraser family favourites from her mother-in-law Marie, known to me as "Granny". This included everything from pie dough and date squares, to pickles and relishes, and a full turkey dinner (to be enjoyed three times a year, at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).

Last year, my Nona moved out of the house she and my Nono built in the 1950s, into a retirement home. Without a kitchen anymore, I asked her if I could have the recipe book of all of her's and Granny's recipes, to ensure that we can continue to enjoy our favourite recipes for generations. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada and social-distancing began, I made a promise to myself to make a new dish or baked good from her recipe book each week until this is all over. So far, I have made pumpkin tarts, butter tarts, oatmeal cookies, 7 layer bars, and Easter dinner with all the stuffing and fixings!

I talk to my Nona on the phone everyday and she is very invested in this cooking and baking journey. She is so excited that I am, as she says, "learning all of Nona's recipes" and "becoming a good little baker". I tell her whenever I am making something, which always results in her calling me multiple times to check on the progress and me calling her multiple times to ask for advice. It is amazing to me that she still remembers each step and ingredient of every recipe by heart. She'll often say things like, "I know the recipe says bake for 18 minutes, but give it a good 20". And, of course, everything comes out perfectly when made with her little alterations. These cooking and baking days have provided us not only with an opportunity to pass the time, but also with an opportunity to feel connected in a period of isolation and distancing.

I chose to share her recipe for Butter Tarts, which I made successfully a few weeks ago. This recipe is not only delicious, but it also highlights how recipes can be sites of history in the making. In her book, this recipe is called "Taffy Tarts", a name which I had never even heard used once by her or anyone else in my family (naturally, I had to call her to make sure this was, indeed, the right recipe for butter tarts). Not only the name, but the recipe has changed over time as well. You'll see that my Nona added corn syrup to the mix, and I have substituted raisins for pecans. The best part of this particular recipe is the commentary typed-in by my Granny. I have yet to discover what "add butter with your eyes closed" entails, or what the difference between "beat well" and "beat real well" is. If you figure it out, let me know! Enjoy!

Karly Hurlock is a graduate student and junior public servant in Ottawa, looking to survive quarantine one recipe at a time.