Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, divided
- 90 ml maple syrup
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 200 g graham-cracker crumbs
- 100 g unsweetened shredded coconut
- 75 g chopped almonds
- 60 g custard powder
- 45 ml heavy cream
- 225 g dark chocolate, chopped
Method
- Melt 75 g butter with maple syrup and cocoa; whisk in the egg over low heat until thickened.
- Stir in crumbs, coconut, and almonds; press into a lined 20 cm square pan and chill 30 minutes.
- Beat remaining butter with custard powder and cream, then beat in 45 ml maple syrup; spread over the base and chill 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate with the remaining maple syrup, spread over the filling, and chill until firm before cutting.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 200 g icing sugar in the filling and granulated sugar in the chocolate layer
Conversion used: Use 90 ml maple syrup total in the base and topping, plus 45 ml in the filling; reduce the cream to 45 ml and chill longer to set the softer syrup-based filling.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple complements cocoa, coconut, and custard while keeping the iconic British Columbia bar recognizable. It replaces refined sugar with a distinctly Canadian local ingredient.
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 →