Ingredients
- 1 tart crust (10-inch)
- 100 g almond flour
- 80 g butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 60 ml pure maple syrup
- 5 ml almond extract
- 250 g mixed berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry)
- 30 ml maple syrup (for glaze)
- 5 g sea salt
Method
- Preheat to 360°F. Cream butter with almond flour, salt until sandy.
- Fold in eggs one at a time; add 60 ml maple syrup and almond extract.
- Spread almond cream in crust; bake 20 minutes until set.
- Arrange berries in concentric circles on cooled cream.
- Brush berries with 30 ml maple syrup thinned with 15 ml water; chill 30 min before serving.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g white sugar + 30 g honey
Conversion used: Replace white sugar with 60 ml maple syrup in cream (1:0.4 volume); use additional 30 ml for glaze; eliminate honey; reduce oven to 360°F (−5°F) to prevent bottom-crust browning from syrup's molasses content.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple's subtle woodiness enhances almond nuttiness; mineral content (manganese) supports berry anthocyanin absorption. Quebec syrup honors North American berry heritage.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →