Featured Recipe
Maple Tart with Whipped Cream
By Kate
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Maple-flavored tart with a flaky crust, creamy filling, maple crumble and optional jelly cubes. Butter, flour, and confectioners sugar base. Sweetened condensed milk and maple syrup filling with eggs. Optional crumbly topping with corn starch and fleur de sel. Whipped cream folded with gelatin, infused vanilla. Gelée made from maple syrup and gelatin, set before use. Dulce de leche drizzled on top, decorated with whipped cream lines, crumble bits, jelly cubes. Chill well before serving. Keeps refrigerated up to 3 days.
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Prep:
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
dessert
tart
maple
Introduction
Maple, butter, sugar. Crunchy crust with a soft luscious filling. The filling holds a hint of sweetened condensed milk and eggs, twisted with maple syrup for depth. Vanilla-scented whipped cream holds a fragile gelatin texture, giving it body. Optional maple jelly, chilled and cubed, adds texture contrast on the finish. Crumble is sweet and salty with maple sugar and fleur de sel enhancing every bite. Dulce de leche piped over adds richness and a complex caramel note. Make in advance to let flavors meld and keep cool before serving. Rustic yet refined, mix of creamy, crisp, and gelée. If skipping jelly, crumble and cream are enough to carry it.
Ingredients
Crust
- 105 g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 45 g (1/3 cup) confectioners sugar
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) fine salt
- 90 g (3/8 cup) unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 10 ml (2 tsp) ice water
- 250 ml (1 cup) maple sweetened condensed milk or regular
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 30 g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 20 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 20 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) maple sugar
- 10 ml (2 tsp) cornstarch
- a pinch of fleur de sel
- 2 ml (1/3 tsp) gelatin powder
- 10 ml (2 tsp) cold water
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) 35% whipping cream
- 20 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) maple sugar or castor sugar
- 1/4 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 3 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) gelatin powder
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) cold water
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
- 140 ml (2/3 cup) dulce de leche with or without maple
Maple Filling
Crumble (optional)
Maple Whipped Cream
Maple Jelly (optional)
Garnish
About the ingredients
The crust uses less sugar than usual to offset sweet filling. Use cold butter and cold water to keep crust flaky. Sweetened condensed milk adds silkiness, maple syrup adjusts sweetness and maple flavor intensity. Gelatin in the whipped cream gives sturdy peaks that hold shape without weeping. For extra texture, crumble combines corn starch and fleur de sel to balance sweetness and provide saltiness. Jelly layer optional but gives a refreshing bounce and visual appeal. Dulce de leche of any decent quality – maple-flavored is bonus but regular is fine. Bean weights avoid crust puffing. Vanilla bean preferred but extract works indoors or busy kitchens.
Method
Crust
- 1. Pulse flour, confectioners sugar, and salt in food processor. Add butter cubes. Pulse briefly, pea-sized crumbs form. Add ice water. Pulse once or twice until dough barely comes together. Remove. Knead gently 20 seconds to smooth.
- 2. Press dough firmly into a 23 cm (9 in) tart pan with removable bottom. Spread flat on base and up sides. Prick bottom with fork evenly. Chill 25 minutes.
- 3. Oven rack middle position. Preheat oven to 205 °C (400 °F).
- 4. Line dough with foil, weigh it down with dry beans or pie weights.
- 5. Bake 20 minutes until edges lightly golden. Remove foil and weights slowly.
- 6. Whisk sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, and eggs till smooth. Pour into shell.
- 7. Bake 28 minutes at 205 °C (400 °F). Edges set, center slightly jiggly. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Refrigerate minimum 3 hours or overnight until firm.
- 8. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water, swell 5 minutes.
- 9. Heat 100 ml (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) cream with sugar and vanilla until near boil. Off heat, stir in gelatin until dissolved. Add remaining cream. Transfer bowl. Cover, chill 2 1/2 hours until cold.
- 10. Sprinkle gelatin over 50 ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) cold water, bloom 5 minutes.
- 11. Heat remaining water with maple syrup to simmer. Off heat, stir in gelatin till clear.
- 12. Pour into a 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 in) loaf pan. Cool 35 minutes at room temp. Refrigerate 1 hour until set.
- 13. Line sheet with silicone or parchment.
- 14. Mix flour, softened butter, maple sugar, cornstarch, and fleur de sel to slightly moistened crumbs. Break clumps with fingers on sheet.
- 15. Bake 7-9 minutes at 180 °C (350 °F), stir halfway. Cool entirely.
- 16. Dip loaf pan base briefly in warm water to loosen jelly. Turn out on board. Cut jelly into small cubes.
- 17. Whip chilled maple cream using mixer until stiff peaks. Transfer to piping bag fitted with star or plain tip.
- 18. Pipe cream over tart in parallel lines or swirls.
- 19. Fill another piping bag with dulce de leche. Pipe thin lines between whipped cream lines.
- 20. Sprinkle crumble and jelly cubes on top. Slice into 8 portions. Serve with remaining jelly and crumble on side.
- Store covered in fridge up to 3 days.
Maple Filling
Maple Whipped Cream
Maple Jelly (Optional)
Crumble (Optional)
Assembly
Technique Tips
Start with crust prep using pulse method to keep crumbly texture, avoid overworking. Chilling crucial before blind baking, also helps prevent shrinkage. Fill and bake until just set to avoid cracking or drying. Cool and refrigerate to firm up. Whip gelatin mixed cream after chilling, gentle folds preserve volume. For jelly, bloom gelatin well and pour gently to avoid bubbles. Crumble bakes fast, watch closely. Final assembly demands steady hands for piping cream and dulce de leche lines. Scatter crisp crumble and cool jelly cubes just before serving for textural contrast. Refrigerate leftovers tightly covered, avoid absorbing fridge smells or drying. Optimal times and temps based on slight buffer from original.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use cold butter and ice water. This keeps crust flaky. Dough forms quickly with food processor. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt first. Then, add butter.
- 💡 Chill dough before blind baking. Prevents shrinkage. Line with foil and add weights. Bake until edges lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
- 💡 For filling, blend ingredients smooth. Bake till edges set but center jiggles. Cooling on rack helps stabilize. Refrigerate well before serving.
- 💡 Whipped cream benefits from gelatin. Bloom gelatin in cold water. Heat a portion of cream, dissolve gelatin. Then add remaining chilled cream.
- 💡 Optional jelly can enhance visual appeal. Bloom gelatin properly. Mix with hot maple syrup. Pour into pan and cool until set.
Kitchen Wisdom
How long can I store leftovers?
Up to three days in fridge. Keep covered. Avoid fridge odors being absorbed. Drying out is also a risk.
What if the filling doesn’t set?
May need longer cooling time. Or baking temp too low. Check edges should be firm, center jiggle.
Can I use regular cream instead of heavy?
Yes, but vary whipping results. Lighter cream won’t hold shape as well. Might need stabilizers.
What if my crust shrinks while baking?
Common issue. Chill dough longer. Ensure weights used properly. Avoid overworking the dough.
