Welfare Pudding

With American Thanksgiving coming up - I thought I'd share the desert recipe and pictures from Canadian Thanksgiving this past October.  Below are the pictures of Andrée and Jen's beautifully decorated house in Verdun. 

Pudding Chômeur (translates literally to unemployed person's pudding) is a Québecois dessert, believed to have been first made during the depression.  It's normally cooked in a square baking dish. This creamed and buttered up version is baked in 5 oz ramekins. The recipe is from Au Pied de Cochon restaurant in Montreal, and is delicious.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup maple syrup

1 cup whipping cream (35%)

pinch of salt

vanilla ice cream to serve 

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars, and blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until completely incorporated. Add flour and baking powder, and stir until dough is well mixed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. In a saucepan, bring syrup and cream to a boil, stirring often. As soon as it reaches the boiling point, remove from heat, add salt and let cool until tepid, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 450F. Place 6 oven safe, 5 oz. ramekins on a foil-lined baking sheet and spoon a couple tablespoons of maple mixture into the bottom of each. Divide dough evenly among ramekins by loosely packed tablespoons. Slowly pour remaining maple mixture over dough (it will sink into the holes), then bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool several minutes, then serve with ice cream.