Ingredients
- 150 ml Quebec maple syrup (amber, rich taste)
- 500 g fresh cherries, pitted
- 3 large eggs
- 250 ml whole milk
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 90 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Butter for dish
Method
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Butter a 28 cm round baking dish and arrange cherries in a single layer.
- Whisk eggs, maple syrup, milk, cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Sift flour and salt over liquid mixture; whisk until lump-free batter forms.
- Pour batter over cherries and bake 35–40 min until puffed, set, and golden at edges.
- Cool 10 min before serving; finish with a light drizzle of maple syrup at the table.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 120 g granulated white sugar
Conversion used: Replace 120 g sugar with 150 ml amber maple syrup. Reduce milk from 300 ml to 250 ml to compensate for syrup's liquid content. Bake at 175 °C instead of 190 °C to avoid excess browning on the custard surface.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Amber maple syrup's rich, buttery notes complement sour cherries beautifully, adding depth the traditional sugar version lacks. Quebec maple is a whole-food sweetener with antioxidant polyphenols, making this rustic dessert nutritionally superior.
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 →