Pouding Chômeur

For pudding:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups milk

For sauce:
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cream
1/3 cup butter

Hands-on Time: About 1 hour
Baking Time: About 35-45 minutes

This is a traditional Québécois recipe. I made it for la Fête de la Saint-Jean, which is celebrated 24 June. Traditionally the holiday was a pagan commemoration of the summer solstice, but it was appropriated by the Roman Catholic church as a celebration of the life of John the Baptist, and later evolved into a cultural celebration in Québec similar to the American Fourth of July. However, the dish is not specific to the holiday and would work equally well on a cold winter's night.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the 1/2 cup softened butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until the mix is light. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix these in as well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Measure the milk into a liquid measuring cup so that you can add a little at a time to the first mixture. I used vanilla-flavoured soymilk instead of regular milk in this recipe and it worked quite well, so this is a good alternative if you are trying to offset the unhealthiness of all the butter, sugar, and cream in the recipe.

Add about a third of the flour mix to the original batter and mix it in. Then add about a third of the milk and mix it in. Repeat this process until all the flour mixture and milk have been mixed into the batter.

Grease a 9" x 13" pan and pour the batter into the pan. Set the pan aside and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven is heating, prepare the sauce. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, and butter to a saucepan and set it on medium heat. Stir constantly while waiting for the sauce to come to a boil. Then lower the heat and continue to stir the sauce for about 2 minutes, or until it has reduced a little bit. The final consistency of the sauce will still be fairly thin.

When the sauce is ready, pour it gently over the batter. It may appear to sink in places, which is perfectly all right. Bake the pudding for 35 minutes and then check whether it is done. When the pudding is finished, it should be light brown, and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. If necessary, add five or ten minutes to the baking time. I had to bake mine for 45 minutes.

This pudding can be served warm or cold. Keep it covered once it has initially cooled if you are not going to serve it right away.