They can be the sugar rush of sugar rushes.
And the rush was certainly on at Saturday’s Butter Tarts and More Market at Barrie’s Georgian Mall.
The day-long butter tarts festival featured an estimated 35 vendors, tables and tables of them, at the Bayfield Street North shopping mall.
Doug Todgham and his son Griffin of Barrie had a good look around before buying any of the goods.
Both are big fans of butter tart filling, but of different types.
“I would have to say raisin,” said Doug, after thinking on it. “I’m a bit of a butter tart connoisseur. The other thing I like is maybe maple syrup in it (the filling).
“The sweetness doesn’t bother me at all. These days, everything has sweetener in it.”
Griffin has slightly different tastes when it comes to butter tarts.
“It’s definitely the filling,” he said of his favourite part of the tart. “Regular filling, and the sugar doesn’t bother me.”
Twenty minutes later when the Todghams made their way back, they carried walnut raisin, plain raisin, chocolate brownie, salted caramel and maple bacon butter tarts, a few of each type.
There was almost no end to the butter tart flavours available at Georgian Mall on Saturday.
Some were advertised on table signs as gluten-free, others as highly addictive.
Flavours also included pecan, maple and raspberry. They came in mini and regular size, gourmet style, hand-crafted and award-winning (some vendors had trophies at their table).
Leslie Campbell of Lisle said she was at the festival after promising her son she would buy him some butter tarts.
She carried raisin, plain and raspberry butter tarts.
“It’s like having a small pie, but it’s easier than having a piece of pie,” she said of butter tarts.
Campbell was asked what she liked most about these butter tarts.
“That I don’t have to make them,” she said with a smile. “Making butter tarts is a lot of work.”
Saturday’s event also included an artisan marketplace, as well as other sweet treats from local bakeries across Ontario.
