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Inspired by fond memories growing up in Quebec sugaring-off every spring, this salted maple pie is much, much tastier looking than its humble appearance would suggest. It’s like the sugar on snow served up beside a roaring fire outside the sugar shack only better because it is hugged by a flaky all-butter crust.

All-butter crust…because it’s the only way to go

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Ingredients for one 9″ crust

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces (use European butter if you can find it…it has a higher butterfat percentage which makes for a flakier crust)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons ice water

In a food processor, pulse the salt, sugar and 1 1/4 cups flour to combine. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are pea-size. Transfer to a medium bowl and freeze about 5 minutes. (You can of course work by hand if you don’t have a food processor, using a pastry blender.)

In a small bowl, combine vinegar and water and sprinkle over flour mixture; toss with a fork to incorporate. Knead until dough comes together with just a few dry spots remaining. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill at least two hours or overnight if possible.

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Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, rotating often and dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 12-inch round. Fold dough in half and transfer to a pie plate.  Lift up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish. You should have about a 1-inch overhang. Fold edges under and crimp. Place pie dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze 15 minutes. This step is important to preserve your pretty crimps. Full disclosure, as you can see by my finished pie I forgot this step and kind of lost my crimps. Kind of crimped my style.

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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and place in pie crust, coated side down, pressing into bottom and sides. Fill with pie weights (or dried beans or rice) and bake until edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes or so and then carefully remove foil and pie weights and cool on a wire rack.

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Maple pie ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup real Canadian maple syrup, buy local if you can…I used Maple Roch from Summerland
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs plus one additional egg yolk at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extra or vanilla bean paste
  • one 9-inch blind baked and cooled all-butter pie crust
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • flaky sea salt for sprinkling

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Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350F

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and maple syrup. Whisk in the brown sugar, cornmeal and salt. Crack the eggs and yolk into another bowl and add the cream and vanilla and whisk to combine.

Slowly pour the egg mixture into the maple mixture and whisk to combine.

Place your pre-baked pie shell on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the pie edge with the beaten egg. Pour the filling into the pie shell until it reaches the bottom of the crimps.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the edges are puffed and the centre jiggles only a bit when shaken. It will set more as it cools.

Cool for a good 4 hours and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

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