Pouding chomeur
On this page, we're sharing our most beloved French-Canadian, Acadian and Québécois dishes : classics from grand-maman. Here is the most classic of desserts, the pouding chômeur.
A classic French-Canadian dish, pouding chômeur literally translates as unemployed man's pudding. According to legend, tt was created by female factory workers during the Great Depression, using a mix of flour, water, brown sugar, and other inexpensive ingredients that were common at the time. Stale bread was also used instead of the cake batter.
Caramel:
2 C brown sugar
1 ½ C boiling water
Butter (size of an egg)
1 tsp vanilla
Maple syrup (optional)
Cake:
1 C brown sugar
1 C flour
1 C cold water
2 tsp magic powder
Mix all caramel ingredients together in a bowl, then transfer to a square glass (Pyrex) dish.
Mix all cake ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
Add the cake mixture to the liquid caramel by the spoonful.
Bake for 35-45 minutes at 325°F.
Best served warm, with vanilla ice cream.
Historical information sourced from: Elton, Sarah, "Pouding Chômeur". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published December 02, 2014. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pouding-chomeur.