Tarte Recipe

Prepare dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, icing sugar and salt. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

Add egg and water

Mix the egg yolk with the ice water, then drizzle over the flour-butter mixture. Gently fold with a spatula until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork; if it remains crumbly, add up to 1 additional tablespoon ice water, 1 tsp at a time.

Chill and roll

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours). When chilled, roll the dough to about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick to fit a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom.

Blind bake

Fit the dough into the tart pan, trim and crimp the edges. Chill the lined pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to prevent shrinking. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 6–8 minutes more until the crust is lightly golden. Let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

Combine sugars and thickeners

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the brown sugar until lump-free. This prevents clumps when heating the liquid.

Cook filling

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, heavy cream and the brown sugar/cornstarch mixture. Whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to steam. Continue to cook gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Temper and add egg

Lightly beat the large egg in a bowl. To avoid scrambling, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the hot maple mixture to the beaten egg while whisking continuously (tempering). Then pour the tempered egg back into the saucepan and stir to combine. Return to very low heat and cook 1 minute more, stirring, just to incorporate — do not boil. The filling should be glossy and coat the back of a spoon.

Fill tart and set

Pour the warm maple filling into the baked tart shell and smooth the top. If using nuts, scatter toasted pecans or walnuts evenly over the surface now. Allow the tart to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably 3–4) until fully set.

Finish

Once set, remove the tart from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. If desired, dust lightly with powdered sugar and sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the top to enhance the maple flavor.

Serve

Slice with a warm, thin knife (dip in hot water and wipe dry between slices for clean cuts). Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. The tart keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days; bring to room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving for best flavor.