One of my favourite wintertime recipes is an old classic from my home province of Quebec. I started making this recipe over a decade ago. It’s been scribbled in my childhood cookbook for as long as I can remember.
It’s a very simple dessert, made of just a handful of ingredients: butter, flour, sugar and maple syrup.
Legend has it that this dessert was created by female factory workers after the depression of 1929. These women had to find ways to work with very few ingredients. It’s even said that the caramel sauce was made with brown sugar during hard economic times, and was later replaced by maple syrup.
Every time I make it, it’s a hit. My husband requests it whenever we’re at the cottage, after a good snowshoe or winter walk. There’s truly nothing quite like it.
Pouding Chômeur
Ingredients
Method
- Cream together the butter and sugar. This step is key — the more the butter and sugar come together, the fluffier your cake will be.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Once combined, add flour and baking powder. Stir until just smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. This step is optional; if you're in a pinch, you can put it together right away.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Prepare 8 ovenproof single-serving ramekins.
- Boil together maple syrup and cream. This step will help blend the two together.
- Dribble a couple of tablespoons of the maple sauce into the bottom of each bow. Top with about 1/3 cup of batter, then pour over enough sauce to fill the bowl 2/3 of the way.
- Bake in the top third of the oven for 20 minutes until the cake is firm and golden.
- Serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream for an extra special touch.
Leave a Reply