A light and springy cake flavored with chestnut flour tops silky brown butter coffee maple sauce in this classic Quebecois dessert. An easy-peasy, gluten-free recipe adapted from Maple, by Katie Webster. Plus, a giveaway!
Meet my new favorite dessert: pouding chômeur. This is saying a lot, as I have probably eaten more desserts this past year than most people eat in a lifetime. But still, I cannot keep my hands off of these puddings.
It was love at first site when I saw Carey's chômeur post about this time last year. It was 10 at night when that tantalizing image popped up in my feed, and although I'd *just* finished cleaning up a lengthy kitchen project, I was tempted to march straight back into that kitchen to make dessert. I didn't, though, and a whole year went by with nary a chômeur to shove in my face. Basically, the year was a total waste until I pulled these glorious puddings from the oven the other day.
A few weeks ago, a copy of Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup arrived at my door. I could barely contain my excitement for this book because 1) it's all about my very favorite sweetener, 2) it brims with savory and sweet recipes that use it, and 3) it's written by maple maven and food stylist/photographer extraordinaire Katie Webster. I've been fangirling Katie at Healthy Seasonal Recipes for years. She's cute as a button, sweet as pie, she makes the most delicious, fuss-free recipes full of whole ingredients, and she's a veteran food stylist so her photos and recipes are always top-notch. She wrote and shot this entire book herself, and every picture is a stunner, each recipe makes me want to drop what I'm doing and run to the kitchen.
Kaite is also a great person to go drinking with, turns out. When she was in SF a few months ago promoting her book, I stole her away to Abv where she showed up with not one, but two outrageous wigs in tow which she'd just purchased in preparation for a birthday party. The evening ended with a be-wigged Katie posing behind the bar with the bartender, wearing the other wig. All in all, quite a successful evening.
Speaking of drinks, did I mention this book also has booze in it? There are Maple Peach Old Fashioneds, Maple Whiskey Sours, and even Maple Margaritas. There are soups, stews, salads, main dishes, breakfast fare. And of course, there is dessert: cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, and a trio of pudding chômeurs staring up at me from the page. How could I resist?
This time, the chômeurs had their way with me, and I with them. I traded in chestnut flour for the wheat for no other reason than that I like alliteration, and I made the batter gluten-free with some sweet rice and oat flours. I poured a sauce made with maple, coffee and brown butter over the batter and popped those puppies in the oven. And what I pulled out was a sweet that surpassed my greatest dessert hopes and dreams.
Chômeur means unemployed in French, and these puddings came to be during the Great Depression when they were presumably used to bring comfort to out-of-work Quebecois. Which makes this quite a fitting recipe to post on this site. And making these with chestnut flour is also fitting, since, although chestnut flour today carries quite a high price tag (particularly the fresh, organic stuff from Ladd Hill Orchards that I used here), it was often loathed as peasant food used only when more desirable wheat flour couldn't be had.
Chômeur is also the sound you'll make when you slip the first bite of these into your mouth – a sort of a muffled, contented purr. Spongey cake tops a warm, silky sauce flavored with vanilla bean brown butter, coffee and loads of maple syrup. Chestnut flour has notes of sweet butter and vanilla, and it pairs beautifully with the flavors here, creating a soft, pillowy cake. I like these best slightly warm and topped with a plume of whipped cream sweetened with just the tiniest bit of maple syrup.
I'm thrilled to have this recipe in my repertoire because, poor man's food or no, these would make the perfect finale to any dinner party. They're simple to throw together, they reheat beautifully, and they're true crowd-pleasers. The maple makes these taste a bit like pancakes or french toast, and hey, they've got oat flour in them so that makes them kosher for breakfast, amiright?
And! I'm so pleased to be giving away a copy of Maple along with a 250ml bottle of Tonewood Dark Robust Maple Syrup, straight from Vermont. To enter, leave a note below with your favorite use for maple syrup, and I'll pick a winner on October 21st.
More Maple Recipes:
- Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
- Gluten Free Apple Cobbler with Maple & Rhubarb
- Maple Sugar Ice Cream & How to Make Maple Syrup
- Blackberry Maple Cream Popsicles {vegan, refined sugar-free}
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this maple chestnut pudding recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Maple Chestnut Pudding Chômeurs
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (55 g)
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably dark) (120 ml)
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee (60 ml)
Puddings
- 1/2 cup chestnut flour (preferably a mild brand such as Ladd Hill Orchards) (50 g)
- 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour (35 g)
- 1/4 cup GF oat flour (25 g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (9 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup well-shaken, low-fat buttermilk (80 ml)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (preferably dark) (80 ml)
- 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as sunflower (30 ml)
- powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)
- whipped cream, lightly sweetened with a drop of maple syrup and vanilla extract, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC). Place 8 (4-ounce) oven-proof ramekins or canning jars on a baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking oil (or brush with a bit of melted butter).
- Place the butter and vanilla pod and scrapings in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally. After about 3-5 minutes, the butter will foam up, turn golden and smell nutty, with brown flecks mingling with black vanilla bean seeds on the bottom of the pan. At this point, remove the pan from the heat, carefully pour in the maple syrup and coffee, transfer to a measuring pitcher, and set aside.
- To make the batter, sift together the chestnut, sweet rice and oat flours with the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture, and add the eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup and oil. Whisk until well-combined.
- Pour or scoop the batter into the ramekins, dividing it evenly. Give the sauce a good stir to combine (the butter won't want to emulsify, so you'll want to stir, pour, stir, pour...) and pour it over the batter, dividing it evenly; it will pour through the batter, which is fine.
- Bake the puddings until puffed and golden, with bubbling sauce beneath the cakey bits, 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like. Serve the puddings warm, passing whipped cream at the table. The puddings are best when freshly baked, but they keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
Lovely post - such an interesting history about these desserts! As for what I'd do with maple syrup, I love reducing it and mixing with caramel for an autumn sauce!
Laticia W says
Oh man, only one?! I couldn't possibly choose; I have a 'Vessels for Maple Syrup' Pinterest board with 250+ options alone lol. But if I must...currently on the top 10 list would have to be in a mustardy vinegrette to toss with tender greens, maple mustard roasted winter squash and beets topped with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and some pumpkin seeds...mmmm, might just have to make that for dinner tonight!
Ginger says
Stunning as usual. Never been disappointed with any recipe I've tried of yours and I see this one in my near future. Though we don't eat sweets that often, maple syrup (dark please) does find its way into savory things to balance flavors. Salad dressings, lightly glazed meats or fish and of course roasted winter squash of all kinds. And of course maple syrup finds its way to my spoon when I just have to have something sweet "NOW"
[email protected] says
it seems like a delicious dessert, presented with gorgeous photos!!
I usually use maple syrup in granola recipes and granola bars
have a nice weekend!
Karen Schulz-Harmon says
What can I say, but WOW! Your photography is gorgeous and the recipe looks like a dream to make. I can't wait to give this a try, once I pick up some chestnut flour (another ingredient lost in the move to Portland). I'm also headed over to the farmer's market this morning and hoping to pick up a nice dark local maple syrup. One of my favorite savory uses for maple syrup is to drizzle it over Brussels sprouts and roast them in the oven. Pure perfection!
Wishing you a lovely Sunday my friend!
+K
Jules says
those glass container are the cutest! I would do everything in them hahaha
thanks for the recipe, looks really yummy.
Jules.- thekiwidiaries.com
An says
Stunning recipes as always! And I love to make a maple pecan frozen yogurt every I get my hands on a grade B bottle of maple syrup
Michelle says
Yes to maple syrup, all the time, my very favorite sweetener! And now that it's fall, it will be topping my roasted delicata and butternut squash, with just a hint of chili powder.
Alana says
STUNNING!!! Why have I never had this ever. NEED.
Katie Warlund says
So much better than recipes with all purpose flour! Ice made the recipe twice now, and the second time, used only chestnut flour. Holy cow! I also increased the amount of sauce. Fantastic. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Katie Warlund says
I made your recipe for the third time. I used decaf coffee, and I've gotta say, the kids loved it! What a disappointment it was after having this chestnut pudding to go to a cabane à sucre and eat a traditional, pasty, one-dimensional pudding chômeur. You've set the bar really high :)
Katherine Warlund says
lol I've made your recipe again! We're having a great sugaring season. I omitted the coffee this time because a friend gave me his homemade syrup from Dennison's Milks (near Richmond, QC). It has incredible complexity of taste and scent...and the result was great. Maple syrup having terroir differences? I'm now convinced of it. And maple + chestnut flour? Heavenly combo! Thanks again!
Katherine Warlund says
(woops, mispelling: Denison's Mills)
Sophie says
Hello! I have a quick question: can bake this dessert in a 9 inch tin (like the pumpkin version that you posted more recently)?
Thank you for all your recipes!
Alanna says
Aw, you're very welcome! I haven't tried baking one large chomeur but I think a 9-inch pan would work. Please let me know if you try it!
Sophie says
Update: I baked it in a 9-inch pan and it turned out perfectly! Thank you again, I'm addicted to this recipe:)
kirsten Berwick says
Living in Florida (God’s waiting room), as a retired chef, from Northern Michigan...anything with Maple Syrup and Black Walnuts gets my vote!! I do enjoy a Bourbon Extra Sweet Manhattan
(Knob Creek Smoked Maple), with a teaspoon of dark Maple Syrup.
That Maple cookbook looks amazing, can’t wait to get my paws on it!!
I don’t want to wait a year, to afford it used on Amazon...
Please Please Please pick ME!!!
Trish says
I’ve been intrigued with this recipe after seeing it in GFF magazine a while back. I saved glass jars from a type of yogurt my husband likes and finally accumulated enough to make this recipe. We loved it! Such good flavor and nice and moist too, a perfect small bite or better yet, an excuse to eat more than one! I served it with a goat cheese fig cognac ice cream that put it over the top. Love, love, love your recipes, Alanna!
Alanna says
Omg that ice cream sounds so incredibly perfect here! I'm so glad you two loved the puddings - what a lucky man your husband is!