Why is it called pudding Chomeur?

Legend has it that pouding chômeur (“unemployed-person pudding”) was created by female factory workers relying on the inexpensive staples they had on hand , much like other desperation-inspired dishes such as sugar cream pie. During tough times, Canadian women made the pudding from stale bread and brown sugar sauce.

What does pouding chômeur taste like?

“Pouding Chomeur” is a typical French Canadian dessert. It is VERY sweet and has almost no fat and no eggs, which is why it is called “Pudding for the Unemployed.” This recipe comes from my aunt Francine, which should be very close to the one my grandmother Labelle used to make, and made often.

What is the English translation of pudding Chomeur?

Pouding chômeur (" unemployed man's pudding ", often translated idiomatically as "poor man's pudding") is a dessert that was created during the early years of the Great Depression in Quebec, Canada.

What do Brits call American pudding?

American puddings are closer to what the Brits would call " custard ." A British pudding is a dish, savory or sweet, that's cooked by being boiled or steamed in something: a dish, a piece of cloth, or even animal intestine.

What are the 3 types of pudding?

Puddings made for dessert can be boiled and steamed puddings, baked puddings, bread puddings, batter puddings, milk puddings or even jellies . In some Commonwealth countries these puddings are known as custards (or curds) if they are egg-thickened, as blancmange if starch-thickened, and as jelly if gelatin-based.

What is the most common pudding flavor?

The most common kind of pudding is chocolate . Some other kinds are vanilla, butterscotch, banana, and pistachio.

What is the history of chômeur?

Pouding chômeur, or “poor man's pudding” in English, was created by women who worked in factories during the depression in Quebec . With limited access to ingredients, the almost-sickly-sweet dessert was the result of necessity: it is a simple and cheap dessert that fed a lot of people.

Why was offal called pudding?

Another proposed etymology is from the West German 'pud' meaning 'to swell' . According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word 'pudding' dates to the thirteenth century. It refers to the entrails or stomach of a sheep, pig or other animal stuffed with meat, offal, suet, oatmeal and seasonings.

Why are they called puddings?

The word pudding (first used circa 1200) in fact comes from boudin, a French word for a type of sausage . Haggis, the national dish of Scotland and “Great Chieftan o' the Puddin-race,” as poet Robert Burns called it in 1786, is perhaps the best-known example.

Pudding Chomeur Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: camille

August30,2009

4 Ratings

Prep time 24 hours 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Serves 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Pudding Chômeur is a traditional cake from Québec. It is rich and decadent and a perfect winter desert. With heavy cream on top of it it's even better! - Camille —camille

Test Kitchen Notes

If you crossed sticky toffee pudding with pancakes and maple syrup, you would get chomeur, a buttery biscuit submerged in a bath of maple syrup and cream. Pudding Chomeur takes no time to prepare: you mix the dough in 10 minutes and refrigerate it, and then the next day, you drop it into ramekins, pour over the syrup and cream and pop it into a very hot -- 450 degrees -- oven. As the syrup mixture boils it poaches and glazes the biscuit. This makes it both a great no-stress dinner party dessert and fun baking project to do with your kids. The recipe calls for 6 ramekins. The pudding is so rich you might want to make it in 10 to 12 small ramekins, baked for slightly less time, about 20 minutes. The batter should half fill the ramekins, and the syrup should come no closer than 1/4-inch from the rim, or it will boil over. - A&M —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 eggs
²/₃ cupbutter
1 cupsugar
2 ¹/₃ cupsall purpose flour
1 teaspoonbaking powder
2 cupsmaple syrup
2 cupsheavy cream

Directions

Beat butter and sugar until smooth
Add eggs one at the time
Add flour and baking powder and stir until flour is completely incorporated.
Chill for at least 24 hours
Preheat oven a 450 degres. Bring syrup and cream to a boil in a saucepan
Divide dough in 6 ramekins and fill each with the cream and syrup mix
Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes

Tags:

Pudding
Canadian
Quebec
Milk/Cream
Cheese
Make Ahead
Serves a Crowd
Fall
Winter
Breakfast
Dessert

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36 Reviews

Talin February 2, 2020

Love the flavor of this dessert, also very simple make. I would probably change the recipe a bit. I followed instructions exactly as described but I found that the cake itself is rather dry. I would probably bring dough to room temperature or skip chilling all together. Reason being is the sauce doesn’t really get in the center and only gathers around it. If the dough was pliable you would be able to get the sauce In the center so it wouldn’t be so dry.

jschlimmer March 8, 2012

My kind of recipe - really good and really really easy! Its a keeper.

yercinnamongirl February 20, 2012

I'm from Quebec :) and it was fun to see this "pouding chomeur" This recipe is one that mothers pass down to their daughters. We make it in a snap while the kids are setting the table (we don't chill the batter) In my mother's version we put it in a big pyrex (not ramekins) and she would often replace the maple syrup with brown sugar and the heavy cream with plain water and just put it all in cold in the oven it is kind of a leap of faith to make it because it looks like won't be good that the batter won't spread over the syrup but IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT! It is foolproof!

bronwyncarlisle July 9, 2012

I'm from New Zealand, and we make something very similar with scone dough (what Americans would call biscuit dough) Golden Syrup and water, and call it "Scone Pudding". In a big pyrex just like your mother did. My son loved it. Dead easy, and no we don't chill the batter either. You mix it up (no recipe) and throw it in the oven, then serve it with runny cream poured on at the table.

madeleine November 21, 2015

What is the temp/cook time on the big pyrex version? Thanks!

bronwyncarlisle November 21, 2015

Until it's cooked! In Farenheit probably around 350°, or 180°C. The bigger you make it the longer it takes to cook. If you put the syrup on warm it'll cook faster. Somewhere between half an hour and an hour.

Bea July 22, 2022

Hi Yercinnamongirl! Would you pour the batter after having poured the syrup? In some recipes I've found, people pour the syrup on top of the batter. I'm so looking forward to trying this recipe (but with a GF flour)!

Iris9 January 14, 2012

Do I really need to chill this for 24 hours? I want to make it tonight. Looks yummy!

Soozll January 16, 2011

I made this last night and, boy oh buddy, is it delicious! I didn't have ramekins large enough so I just mounded the dough in an 9" square pan over a little of the sauce on the bottom, then poured the rest over and around the dough. (used the technique from a recipe for Maple Pudding Cake on Epicurious) The dough spread out and made the dessert look almost like a cobbler. The flavor is amazing, my husband loved it. I will definately make this again. I'm so glad you entered this recipe and thankful it was an editors pick..I'd have never known about it and it's history otherwise!

Marrie January 15, 2011

Hi, I'm from Québec, where this recipe is from..

We cook it in a shallow pan, instead of Ramquins....easier, and more practical

Yes, it is as good with brown sugar.... well...almost as good...

good luck,

Marrie

aclezotte December 5, 2010

How is the texture of the bottom of it supposed to be? Mine was very dense, with the sauce seemingly only penetrating a centimeter or two. Is this the way it's meant to be, or did I do something wrong?

marymichael November 12, 2010

What size ramekins do you use for six servings? Am thinking of making this for a dinner party and want to try it out soon-- sounds absolutely yummy!

Midnite B. October 10, 2010

Wow! Does this look delicious. Thanks for the recipe and will be making this on one of my
snowed in days.

Serene September 19, 2010

Oh, my god, that looks *incredible*.

thirschfeld March 1, 2010

Saving this to my recipe file. This looks sooooo, soooo good. Can't wait to dig into it.

eatboutique December 31, 2009

I wonder how this would do if the dough only sat in the fridge for say... 12 hours?