START TO FINISH: 1 hour (15 minutes active)
SERVINGS: 4
This gooey Québecois dessert is said to have been created during the Great Depression, when many people were au chômage, or unemployed. The individual “puddings” have the texture of a cake-like biscuit, with crusty edges moistened by maple and cream. The vanilla ice cream may seem unnecessary, but its cold creaminess is the perfect foil for the rich, warm puddings. You’ll need four 6-ounce ramekins for this recipe. If you like, it can be doubled to serve eight.
Don’t use maple-flavored syrup. This dessert gets its flavor from pure maple syrup. We especially liked the puddings made with darker syrups, which tend to have a deeper, richer taste. But lighter “amber” syrups were good, too.
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) salted butter, softened, plus more for ramekins
1 cup maple syrup (see note)
6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
93 grams (7 tablespoons) white sugar
1 large egg
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Generously butter four 6-ounce ramekins; place on the baking sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium, whisk together the maple syrup and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in the vinegar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. With a stand mixer, in another medium bowl beat the 6 tablespoons of butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, beat in the egg, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed; the mixture will resemble sticky cookie dough. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Into each prepared ramekin, spoon 2 tablespoons of the maple mixture. Scoop the dough into the ramekins, dividing it evenly (about ⅓ cup in each). Spoon another 2 tablespoons of the maple mixture over each.
Bake until the puddings are deep golden brown and bubbling at the edges, about 25 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with ice cream and with the remaining maple mixture on the side.