Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (9-inch)
- 140 ml pure maple syrup
- 60 g butter
- 3 eggs
- 15 ml cider vinegar
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 5 g cornmeal
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 2 g sea salt
Method
- Preheat to 340°F. Melt butter; whisk with maple syrup until emulsified.
- Add eggs one at a time, whisking; fold in vinegar, vanilla, cream, salt, cornmeal.
- Pour into crust; bake 55–60 minutes until edges set, center jiggles slightly.
- Cool completely (syrup firms as it cools). Refrigerate 4 hours before serving.
- Slice thin; serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 200 g white sugar + 30 ml milk
Conversion used: Use 140 ml maple syrup (1:0.7 volume); reduce cream to 100 ml to offset syrup's inherent moisture; bake at 340°F (−25°F) to prevent burning from syrup's darker color; chill thoroughly for proper custard texture.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple's caramel structure creates buttery, custardy texture superior to white sugar's crystalline crumb; Quebec syrup's mineral complexity (boron, potassium) enhances egg richness.
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 →