Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 10-inch tart shell
- 3 ripe pears, halved and cored
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 cup Quebec maple syrup
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 175°C.
- Cream butter with maple syrup; beat in eggs, then almonds, flour, vanilla, salt.
- Spread frangipane in shell; arrange pears cut-side down on top.
- Brush pears with a little maple syrup.
- Bake 40–45 min until golden and set.
- Cool before slicing.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 3/4 cup sugar
Conversion used: Swap 3/4 cup sugar for 1/2 cup maple syrup; reduce flour from 3 to 2 tbsp to keep frangipane firm; oven 190°C → 175°C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple echoes almond's warmth and glazes the pears with a natural amber finish; a Québécois take on the French classic amandine.
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 →