A Dessert Worth Making

Any time, any season but especially during Maple syrup season is a good time to serve this. Rich and comforting, elegant enough for company and my favourite part…easy and can be made ahead! What’s more, you know this is a good one when you bring the recipe into work and find out your co-worker has ripped the same recipe out the same magazine and the rest take copies!  All we are waiting for now is someone to actually have enough leftovers to bring into work…hasn’t happened yet, probably because no one has had leftovers yet!

What we are talking about is the Pudding Chomeur Cakes featured in Canadian House and Home Feb. 2012.  We are still talking about it and still making it.  Anything that goes into year two of the recipe archives has real standing power, so that’s why we are sharing it.

On Friday morning I mixed up all the ingredients (because I had time then). The batter went into a container and into the fridge.  Next came the sauce. This part of the recipe takes the most attention, only because you want to bring it just to boiling, not any longer or your cream may curdle. Once done, I put the sauce into a container and into the fridge is went too.  Now I had the perfect dessert ready  for the company on Sunday.

As dinner was being brought to the table on Sunday, I quickly brought out the two containers, laid out my ramekins and dished the sauce and the batter into each ramekin.  Actually, it’s so simple one of my guests did this for me! The desserts only take 5 minutes to assemble and another 25-30 minutes in the oven, essentially they would bake while we ate.  This guaranteed that the meal was finished with a warm dessert, topped with ice cream! So very good and so easy!

Pudding Chomeur Cakes
(recipe via Au Pied de Cochon restaurant, via Canadian House&Home magazine, February 2012)

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 {optional, but recommended!}
Directions:
one] 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.

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.

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 centre comes out clean. Let cool several minutes, then serve with ice cream.