History

Sugar pie grew out of Quebec's maple and sugar-beet traditions, a thrifty dessert built from pantry staples. It appears on cabane a sucre tables in spring and holiday spreads in winter, and bakeries like Premiere Moisson keep it in the case year-round. Maple-sugar versions are prized above brown-sugar ones.

Common allergens: Gluten, Milk, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Serves 8Hands-on 20 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 pastry shell, blind-baked
  • 250g brown sugar or maple sugar
  • 200ml heavy cream
  • 50g butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg

Method

  1. Whisk sugar and flour, then stir in cream, melted butter, vanilla and egg until smooth.
  2. Pour into the blind-baked shell.
  3. Bake at 180C for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges are set but the centre still wobbles slightly.
  4. Cool completely so the filling firms into a fudgy set before slicing.

Tip from the editors. Pull it while the centre still jiggles; it firms as it cools, and overbaking turns the filling grainy.

Where to eat tarte au sucre

Tarte au sucre in Montreal

Premiere Moisson ★ 3.8

Bakery$$little-burgundyDaily 07:00-18:00Walk-in onlyBread, pastry and charcuterie

Premiere Moisson anchors the Atwater Market bakery corner in Montreal, a Quebec chain baking country breads, viennoiserie and a classic tarte au sucre.

Tip: Pair a loaf here with cheese and charcuterie from the market stalls for a canal-side picnic.

Worth the queue: Sugar pie (tarte au sucre)

138 Avenue Atwater, Montreal, QC H4C 2H6

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