Maynooth has sweet tooth for butter tarts

March 3, 2020

By Kristena Schutt-Moore

The Hastings Highlands Centre was filled with joy as butter tart crusts fell apart and the gooey contents spilled out making a delicious mess during the first ever Butter Tart Festival on Saturday, Feb. 29.
Several vendors put forward their best recipes and competed in the butter tart contest. Judges, Mathew Reisler, Jill Price and Kristena Schutt-Moore, sampled close to 30 different butter tarts to find the best of the best. There were four categories that contestants could enter including plain, nut, fruit and unique.  
In each category a first, second and third winner was selected. In the plain category the winners were, Claire Cameron in third, Caroline Pilgrim in second and Christine Gillick in first. In the nut category the winners were Dorthy Foster in third, Claire Cameron in second and Christine Gillick in first. In the fruit category the winners were Wilma Robinson in third, Caroline Pilgrim in second and Christine Gillick in first. In the unique category the winners were Dorothy Foster in third, Caroline Pilgrim in second, and Christine Gillick in first. 
The butter tarts overflowed the centre as one vendor reported selling out of over 350 butter tarts. Maynooth has a sweet tooth and a love for butter tarts. Plans are already in the works for next year's festival so future contestants have time to warm up their ovens and test new recipes.