Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked 8-inch tart shell
- 120 ml Quebec maple syrup (golden, delicate)
- 100 ml fresh lemon juice (≈3 lemons)
- zest of 2 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 115 g cold butter, cubed
Method
- Whisk egg yolks, maple syrup, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Cook, stirring constantly, 8–10 min until the curd coats the back of a spoon (≈77 °C).
- Remove from heat; whisk in cold butter piece by piece until fully emulsified.
- Strain through a fine sieve and pour into the pre-baked tart shell.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours until the curd is firm; serve cold.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace 150 g granulated sugar with 120 ml golden Quebec maple syrup (delicate grade preserves lemon brightness). No reduction of lemon juice needed. Do not increase heat above medium-low to protect maple's volatile aromatics.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Golden maple syrup sweetens without masking lemon's acidity, adding a subtle floral-honey undertone; using it raw (uncoooked before curd assembly) preserves its full aroma.
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 →