Ingredients
- Pastry for a double-crust 23 cm pie
- 700 g Saskatoon berries, fresh or frozen
- 120 ml maple syrup
- 35 g quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 egg, beaten for glazing
Method
- Combine berries, maple syrup, tapioca, lemon juice, and zest; rest 15 minutes.
- Line the pie plate, add the filling, dot with butter, and cover with the top crust; cut vents and brush with egg.
- Bake at 190 °C for 20 minutes, then at 175 °C for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbling and browned.
- Cool at least 2 hours so the tapioca can set the syrup-rich filling.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 200 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace the sugar with 120 ml maple syrup; the tapioca absorbs the added liquid, so no extra juice is used, and reduce the usual second-stage oven temperature by 15 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Saskatoon berries and Quebec maple syrup create a distinctly Canadian flavor pairing. The maple's mineral, caramel character rounds the berries without masking their almond-like note.
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 →