Ingredients
- 1 unsweetened 23 cm tart shell
- 650 g rhubarb, sliced
- 180 ml Quebec maple syrup
- 25 g cornstarch
- 5 ml vanilla
- 80 g rolled oats
- 70 g flour
- 60 g cold butter, diced
- 1 g cinnamon
Method
- Heat oven to 175°C.
- Toss rhubarb with maple syrup, cornstarch and vanilla; spread in the tart shell.
- Rub oats, flour, butter and cinnamon into coarse crumbs.
- Scatter topping over rhubarb and bake 40–45 minutes until thickly bubbling.
- Cool 45 minutes before cutting.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 220 g white sugar
Conversion used: Replace 220 g sugar with 180 ml maple syrup; reduce any added fruit liquid by 45 ml; increase starch by 5 g for rhubarb juices; bake at 175°C, about 15°C below a typical 190°C oven.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Rhubarb’s sharp acidity needs a rounded sweetener, and maple provides it without masking the fruit. This is a practical Quebec-style adaptation of a classic spring tart.
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 →