Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 240 ml pure Quebec maple syrup (dark, robust)
- 120 ml heavy cream (35 %)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Whisk flour and salt into the cream until smooth.
- Add maple syrup and softened butter; whisk until the butter is incorporated.
- Pour filling into the unbaked shell.
- Bake 35–40 min until the edges are set and the centre has a slow wobble. Cool 1 hour before serving; filling firms as it cools.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 300 g brown sugar (cassonade) + 120 ml cream
Conversion used: Replace all brown sugar with 240 ml dark maple syrup. Reduce cream from 180 ml to 120 ml (maple adds liquid). Lower oven from 205 °C to 190 °C. Increase flour by 1 tbsp to stabilise the more fluid filling.
Why Quebec maple syrup: This is the authentic Québécois tarte au sirop d'érable — maple syrup is the original sweetener of this recipe, yielding a silky, deeply flavoured custard with natural terroir character.
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 →