My husband has a sweet tooth. I know what you are all thinking, that’s why he married me. Well, there is that of course. 🙂
Then there’s his second love. Dessert.
He especially loves the traditional French Canadian dessert called Pouding Chomeur. The only time he gets to eat this dessert is when we go to a restaurant in Quebec that serves it, which is about once a year.
A few years ago, we were having family over for a dinner party the next day and my husband suggested we serve Pouding Chomeur for dessert.
Me: “They won’t like it.”
Hubby: “They’ll love it.”
Me: “I don’t like it.”
Hubby: “You’ve never tried it, how can you say you won’t like it?”
Me: “It’s too sweet.”
Hubby: “Dessert can never be too sweet.”
Me: (I know, our discussions can be so mature at times). “Okay, I’ll make it, but you’ll have to go out and get some more fresh fruit because I think I need to make a fruit salad as a back-up. There’s no way people (and by people, I meant me) can have more than a spoonful of that chomeur thing.”
Hubby: “I bet you can’t have just one spoonful.”
Me: “I bet I can.”
Game on.
We make a lot of bets with each other. For example…(well, never mind, you all know my noodle is already a bit twisted, you don’t need more ammunition, I’ll save those other bets for another blog).
We never bet for anything tangible, except for bragging rights.
I made the first part of this dessert and then put it in the refrigerator.
The next day, before our guests arrived, I whipped up the next step for this dessert while my husband was out running an errand.
After it was made, I decided to take a taste…just a tiny spoonful of course.
Sweet with a hint of saltines.
Just another tiny bite.
Soft and smooth.
Okay, maybe another little taste.
Crispy.
Okay, might as well have another bite. As the spoonful of heavenly, sweetness was on its way to my lips, I heard the front door opening.
My husband had returned.
Oh, shit, he’ll win the bet.
Chew. Swallow.
I looked into the ramekin, there was one more bite left, plus I’d have to scrape the sauce and some of the cakey portion, rinse it out and shove it into the dishwasher.
I had time. I heard him take off his shoes.
There was more than a damn spoonful to eat in order to hide the evidence and enjoy.
Any minute now he’d be rounding the corner into the kitchen.
Chew. Swallow. Try not to choke.
Just so you all know, I’m a slow eater. I’m usually the last to finish my meal, while everyone is ready to leave the table. Eating fast without bodily injury takes practice, I suppose.
Chew. Fast. Faster…OUCH! I was suddenly in a shitload of pain.
My ear was and jaw felt like someone had given me a right hook. Not that I ever had a punch in the face, but I imagine that’s what it would have felt like.
I couldn’t speak.
Time to play charades to let my husband know that I had dislocated my jaw.
He was ready to take me to the E.R. but after a few minutes, I was able to move my jaw without screaming in pain, and placed an ice pack against my face.
I was pretty sure nothing was dislocated because after massaging life back into my cheek and jaw, I could open and close my mouth, with pain, but still there was good movement.
I have no idea what I did, but I will never chew that fast again.
My face hurt and so did my pride.
I lost another bet.
I was not too chatty during dinner that night.
Moral of the story. Don’t bet with my husband, he always seems to win.
Welcome to Tasty Tuesday and to the Pouding Chomeur Recipe:
Close your eyes (well, after you read this of course) and imagine a buttery biscuit topped with sticky toffee pudding, swimming in a bowl of real maple syrup and velvety rich cream.
That’s what Pouding Chomeur tastes like.
It’s quick, easy to make, no-stress dinner party dessert, and the ingredients are probably things you have hanging around your house.
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour (I make it with a mixture of gluten-free flour & almond flour, but if you are not worried about gluten, go ahead and use all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups maple syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
In a bowl add: flour, baking powder and salt and mix together. Then set aside.
In another bowl, beat butter and white and brown sugars until smooth.
Add vanilla and keep beating.
Add eggs one at the time and keep beating, until everything is mixed well and smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until all the flour is completely incorporated.
Put in refrigerator and chill overnight.
Next day: Preheat oven a 450 F
On the stove top, bring maple syrup and cream to a boil in a saucepan, stirring and keep your eye on it so that it doesn’t spill over.
Lightly grease six ramekins with butter.
Divide dough in each ramekin.
Fill each ramekin with the maple syrup, cream mixture.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minute.
Optional: Serve with vanilla ice-cream
Optional: Wrap up as a gift with instructions, to microwave on high 30 seconds before eating.
Selena Robins, Author 
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