Pouding Chômeur

During the cold winters of the Great Depression, Quebecois found warmth and comfort in dessert. Pouding chômeur (“unemployed person’s pudding”) transformed a few humble ingredients—stale bread, milk, and brown sugar—into a sweet treat. Then, as the economy improved, the frugal recipe evolved into something quite decadent. The sugar was traded for maple syrup and the milk for cream, and an egg-and-butter-rich cake batter (or biscuit dough) took the place of the bread.

I like the cake version. It’s made by spreading a simple