Another butter tart haven - Le Pain Quotidien

So maybe I lied when I said butter tarts are only for bad days.  They can be for good days too.  Maybe it's the type of butter tart I have on bad days.  On bad days, I like ooey gooey goodness - even if it's slightly too sweet.

On good days, I want small butter well...tarts?  Cue an example of a good day: my Big Brother and I went out to lunch and decided to have some dessert.  We stopped at Le Pain Quotidien for dessert.  And there, in the display window, was a somewhat Parisian version of a butter tart.

We both had one each and split a pot of green tea.

And boy, am I glad we each had our own.  The entire thing was lighter and much less sweet than other butter tarts I've had. Despite the fact that I know it was loaded with calories, it didn't taste like it was loaded with calories.

Now, the picture I posted with this entry doesn't do the tart justice.  I'm not in the habit of carrying a camera with me, so I had to rely on my Blackberry (and as much as I love this phone, the camera on it just isn't that great).  The tart shell was a golden brown, and the filling was actually not dark brown, but a sunny yellow colour - very different from a traditional butter tart.  And the taste?

Heaven on Earth.

And you know what?  It actually tasted buttery.  Silly, but I've never had a butter tart that tasted buttery.  The shell, yeah, but the filling?  Never.

Would I go back again for another butter tart?  Oh yeah.  Can I go back often?  Not if I'd like to fit in my pants.

(Le Pain Quotidien also serves an awesome sandwich and other baked goods.  It's a favourite lunch spot of mine.)

Restaurant rating: Definitely worth an extra hour or two at the gym.

Butter tarts are good for the soul

I love butter tarts.  What's not to love? Oooey-gooey, sticky goodness, with a flaky buttery shell and crunchy maple pecans (apologies to all the butter tart purists reading this). To me, butter tarts are perfect.  But I'll only indulge on certain occasions.  Like when it's been a particularly stressful day (rarely do I crave a butter tart on a good day).

There's something about a butter tart that demands my full attention. Maybe it's because the flaky crust will break apart and leave a long trail of crumbs, or the sticky filling will drip onto my shirt as I take that first bite.  A butter tart is so rich, so complex to make and so difficult to eat, that it needs time and respect to properly enjoy.

By focusing solely on the butter tart in front of me, any worries or stress are temporarily shelved.  It gives me a few minutes to re-focus and re-group and hopefully, gain a different perspective on whatever is bothering me.  Butter tarts are sweet, calming and comforting.  Butter tarts help soothe the soul, or at the very least, this blogger's soul.

Did I have a butter tart today?  Yes.  Do I plan to have a butter tart tomorrow?  Absolutely not.

Crema Coffee Co. at Yonge/Bloor serves a mean butter tart.

Butter tart rating: satisfaction level, 10; guilt level, 7.  Okay...maybe the guilt level is closer to a 4.