I am going to come clean about the things that I cannot do. The list is long and peculiar I do admit.
I cannot drive a car (unsupervised)
I cannot swim more than 22 metres
I cannot ride a bike
I cannot dance
I cannot sing
I cannot sew
The last five things don’t bother me as much as the first one. And as for the last one, I wish I was better at doing those wonderful crafty things but I’ve never been able to sew. I sewed the worst outfits for my Barbies that my parents just bought the outfits for her out of pity. Perhaps they didn’t want daughter carrying a shabby looking Barbie.
One thing that I can moderately well is cook. But I realise that there are readers out there that have a low confidence level as far as cooking is concerned and that’s perfectly fine. This recipe is for you my darlings. This self saucing pudding is similar to a sticky date pudding but possibly even better as it uses maple syrup so I think you are virtually assured of a fantastic flavour. It is also one of the easiest puddings ever to make. No sifting, no creaming, no beating, no specialist equipment. Just a bowl and a jug will do.
Maple stash from Canada
Originally created by female factory workers during the Great Depression (clearly they were not experiencing our current prices for maple syrup here in Australia 
), it is a French Canadian pudding from the Quebec region. In fact “chômeur” means unemployed. I used the recipe from Canadian Living which turned out a delicious pudding and an egg free one too. It is very sweet so be warned and I would serve it with a good vanilla ice cream or even better still, a thick sour cream or creme fraiche. When it is straight out of the oven the sauce is plentiful and perhaps appears too plentiful but it thickens and reabsorbs into the cake part upon cooling. I think that you would be perfectly within your rights to reduce the amount of sugar should you wish to.
So tell me Dear Reader, what is something that you cannot do and wished that you could?
Maple Syrup Pudding (Pudding Chômeur)
This recipe makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
- 4 tsp(18 mL) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) milk
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted
- 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon rind, finely grated
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) raisins
Sauce:
- 1.5 cups (375ml) warm water
- 1 cup(250 mL) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted
- 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch
Preparation:
1. In bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg thoroughly.
2. In a jug, whisk together milk, butter and lemon rind; pour over dry ingredients. Sprinkle with raisins; stir just until combined. Spread in greased 8-inch (2 L) square glass baking dish.
3. For sauce: In bowl, whisk together water, maple syrup, butter and cornstarch; pour over batter. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until golden and firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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89 Comments | Add your own
*drool* this looks so yummy! I can’t speak Japanese, but I wish I had more time to study it!
You can bake, cook, blog and photograph! That is already a lot. I cannot drive, sew, sing (a little) or dance (not tried).
Your pudding looks droolworthy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Tease
Looks fabulous! I bet it tastes the same.. and bar the nutmeg, lemon rind raisins, I can actually eat this! OK… maybe I’ll wait
That looks so simple and yet so delicious! I’m pretty bad at parkour and ventriloquism.
This looks delicious! A perfect winter dessert
That looks truly fabulous. I bet its amazing just out of the oven.
Okay things i cant do:
I can’t whistle.
I can’t drive in the UK (for fear).
I can’t do a push up. I don’t know why, but my arms seem to lock.
I can’t say no to (good) bread and buttah.
Too hard to bring myself to pay for the “Real” stuff!
1. Lose weight
2. See 1
I just love maple syrup and will definitely make this one soon. I can’t sing or dance and I wish I could. I can drive – including in Italy – and I can sew.
I know you can dance. I know you can.
oh my – I am super jealous of that awesome maple syrup stash that you have there!!!
Wow, that is an impressive maple syrup stash!!! This pudding looks delightful. I won’t begin to list the many things Icannot do that I wish I could, as it would take up many pages.
Oh yummo!
I can’t play tennis to save my life.
I can’t knit.
I can however, make babies… so I intend to keep helping others do that!
Im so going to make this – what a delicious recipe!
Delicious!
A must try before I set of on my trip to Japan next week.
Oops. Scheduling conflict. My exxy detox juices get delivered on Sunday….
SSG xxx
Maple syrup is wonderful in winter- something so wonderfully warming about it. I wish I could make my own clothes- I can sew on buttons and take up hems but sew an entire outfit I cannot.
I share with you all 5 items on the list lol.
At least we can agree that cooking is a very important skill that we are quite okay at? Love this pudding!
Yuuum, will make this as soon as the weather starts to cool down
I can’t play the piano, although I bought one in the hope that my fairy godmother might turn up and wave her magic wand… xxx
Thanks Lorraine, I’ve been looking for a quick delicious pudding!
I completely understand point no. 1. Despite having my driver’s licence, I cannot drive. I am terrible, and a hazard on the road.
Things I wish I could do: Sing (well, at least just carry a tune and not deafen Frank), Dance (I dance like my parents) and be laid-back. Laid-back would be my first wish if I had three wishes…
Thanks for this recipe – I love Maple syrup to bits and have to hide from my kids!
I am fairly bad at housework Actually, it is probably more that I don’t care to do it, rather than I can’t. I can always think of something else I’d rather be doing. You’ll never see my house in a magazine, that’s for sure!
OH MY GOSH!! I never find other people that can’t ride a bike – everyone teases me because I just can’t ride a bike and they all think it’s weird…..I just never had a bike as a kid!!
Pudding looks delish, as always, Lorraine
mmmm, oh boy i can just taste the sweetness already ! i remember ordering this dessert at ‘au pied de cochon’ in montreal a few years ago. and when the waiter warned just how sweet it was, i said – yes definitely, i’ll have that ! never had a recipe for it, fantastic ! i looove maple syrup. and loooove sticky toffee pudding, so this is for me.
oh, and tone deaf i am ! definitely can’t sing either
This looks amazing. I’ve been looking for recipes with maple syrup so you read my mind
I can’t sing, dance or sew either. I did however learn to ride a bike a few years ago and am very proud of that 
oh man that looks amazing. i will make that in 3 weeks when i’m finished with this gosh darn diet i’m on!
in the meantime i will look at the pics and drool a lot.
Wow – I can’t do any of those things either, and I didn’t even have a Barbie; I had a knock-off. I am, however, Canadian, and I love my maple syrup! This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks, Lorraine!
Your list of “can’t do” is the same as mine!
Also, am so definitely making this pudding VERY soon. Weekend soon, even
Mmm sounds like an awesomely easy one that I can whip up when feeling lazy. Love your collection of maple syrup bottles, who needs a collection of perfume bottles when you have maple syrup
Thanks NQN – something the kids can cook for me… Looks delicious.
Oh I just love maple syrup, and I mean love maple syrup!!I am so envious of your stash. This looks so delish. I can’t whistle, can’t dance and I can’t knit. And saddest of all, I can’t cook a decent pad thai to save myself. BTW driving is overrated anyway, I am always the ‘designated driver’ cause I don’t drink, I’m talking for about twenty years now.
What a wonderful recipe! Can you tell me, please ~ is it worth trying to import your own maple syrup from Canada, given the prices here? There must be a way!!!
I do not like maple. But I can crochet but I can knit. I can also sew and quilt.The only thing I cannot do is sing a tune, since my thyroid gland was taken out in 1999 due to thyroid cancer.
Now that does look and sound very easy. Think I’ll have a go at it tonight! Thanks for the recipe.
yummm.
I always try to buy organic maple syrup coz we read once that a lot of the syrups can be processed using formaldehyde somewhere along the way!! It’s supposed to have been banned since the 1990′s but you never know!
I’m now just wondering if agave nectar would work as well too? I’ve just discovered this product and it tastes like liquid toffee to me!
You underestimate yourself Lorraine! My impression is that you cook much more than moderately well, and as one of the previous commenters said, you blog and photograph well too.
I can’t afford to visit Canada and Scotland. Two places I’d LOVE to see.
I can’t organise myself out of a paper bag sometimes!
*Squeal* I love maple syrup so much; this recipe is perfection! I’m simply going to have to splurge on a bottle the next time I go shopping, and then eat and hoard the whole pudding myself.
What I can’t do? Apparently find a boy for myself. That’s what. SIGH.
I love self-saucing puddings, will definitely try this one!
I would have never thought all the liquid could be absorbed. It must be moist and delicious.
I can drive a car, swim, ride a bike, dance and sew. I like to sing, but mostly in the shower. If you want help learning any of the above – just pop on over. xoxo Mum
your can’t do list is almost the same as mine!!!
-Like yourself I can’t drive, I took myself off the road.
-I can’t roll perfect pie crust, my mom has won baking ribbons with her crusts, I with the same recipe end up with a tasty, flaky collection of pieces. I can roll all sorts of other dough just fine, pie crust not so much, sigh.
-I do not speak French despite being Canadian.
-I cannot make the computer do as I say.
BUT
-I bellydance
-I make pretty darn good cheesecake
-I can do the “marvin the martian” voice (Bugs Bunny alien)
Wow this looks insanely good. Yummmmmm.
1. I can’t ride a bike.
2. Can’t resist yummy food.
3. Can’t get off the %^&$ internet.. lol!
How I love self saucing puddings, faves are lemon and chocolate, ok time to break out and cook this one. Re the driving, you better stay living in capital cities with public transport.
I love your gorgeous maple stash bottles!
I can’t sing and really wish I could. I also can’t play ball games because a flying ball scares me.
If you’ve price-problems for maple syrup there imagine here at Uruguay near banned..I need to take a trip to AU or CA to enjoy a wonderful recipe like that. Pudding comes here, please
Cheers,
Gera
Lorraine, if it is of any consolation, there are also quite a few things on your list that I cannot do… the most embarrassing for me are driving and swimming
I think maple syrup would be a good subsitution to sugar.
I overdosed on Maple syrup in a maple pecan cheesecake I made once – it was so big there are still slices in the freezer that I just can’t face! But I am a solid fan of all self saucing puddings – it feels like magic every time.
I can’t do maths to save myself (or possibly I find it so uninteresting that I don’t even try… )
When I bring back my 1L for $13 jug of maple syrup back from Canada I will be making this.
Yum!
I cant: sing, play an instrument or do anything musical at all.
Mmm yummy, and with real maple syrup too – delightful!
I’ve never been a huge lover of pudding, but Maple Syrup that I love. Never got my license until after I was 30 and needed it for my kids. Always thought I did ok with walking, public transport, Taxi’s (and the kindness of friends and family).
Lorraine, most of those stars you see singing really can’t sing. They are auto-tuned. But, you can’t fake cooking!
I also wish I could sew though. I would make myself very cute aprons.
Ah that looks so easy. I will make this one for sure if I can get some good maple syrup
are you serious?? so easy!
and the fact that i LOVEE sticky date pudding makes me want to make this, thanks L
this looks great lorraine im gonna try and make it this weekend for a special someone xx
This is one pudding I want to make. easy n good. amazingly easy!wow.
My god we did have the same parents!! I can do the first one – but funnily enough am getting manual driving lessons. And as you saw in my last post only just learnt to ride a bike!
To think I was planning to work on a batch of lemon self-saucing puddings for the weekend!
It’s ironic, but with an architect and a design teacher for parents, I can’t draw at all!
I love easy self saucing puddings this will be added to my recipe stash.
I can’t and would love to learn to play the piano.
Don’t worry about what you can’t do, focus on the positive. I can’t eat wheat or lactose and I’m still a chef! I just enjoy cooking for others who can.
Oh dear Lorraine, that looks way too good…and since I will soon be in the land of all things maple syrup (and back to back winters), I will be sure to try this out!!
Things I cannot do….dance or sing. Even my son tells me to stop singing and cringes when I start dancing.
I thought I didn’t like maple syrup for many years until I tasted the real thing (instead of the fake stuff) – now I’m hooked! You did so well to buy up big on this stuff where it was (?) cheaper. Love the idea of this pud!
I can’t sew, whistle, speak a second language, swim very far, or touch my toes without bending my knees
I am terrible at parallel parking. Thus I usually do not drive unsupervized, just like you. And I hate it.
May just have to drown my sorrows in that pudding…
Oooh, I love self-saucing puddings. So easy that even I can’t stuff them up. But confessions: I am crap at housework. Actually I’m good at cleaning etc (though I hate it), but I lack the tidyness gene. I can’t make things look nice or out of the cover of a magazine like other people can. Even when the house is spotless.
And since I’ve had kids, I can’t walk in high heels. Well, I can try, but I usually end up landing on my knees, like so many bags of cement!
OK – you’ve got me.
I’ve been driving for over 22 years and I’m damn good at sewing (only pretty things of course – nothing that would require a zipper), but I’ve never been good at either running or riding a bike (I was more of a roller skating kind of girl).
- All this hasn’t stopped me from giving it a go and entering my first ever triathlon! A mini version, admittedly, but you’ve got to start somewhere…
(But I’m not singing or dancing for ANYONE!)
Sew. Being a Chinese here means I am pretty much short. Need to learn how to stitch up pants and skirts!
I love self-saucing puddings. They are one of my favourite desserts. This one sounds divine.
I can’t sew and although I am creative I am not good at crafty things – I struggle with attention to detail I think. This pudding looks fantastic – I love a fabulous self saucing pud! And with the weather about to get a little colder I think this might be a good thing to try and make!
bookmarked – as soon as I saw the name I had a little breath of “oh my”! and the only thing to stop me wanting it would be the price of maple syrup – it is enough to make me want to live in Canada
I see that you’re using maple picked up while in Canada eh?
the recipe looks lovely. think I’ll try it in the fall. maple syrup just tastes better when the weather’s a lil cooler I think.
Yay I have all the ingredients! This would’ve been perfect for my after-dinner dessert tonight…!
I cannot drive too….I tried and it still scares me…having a full license doesn’t help either
OH but you sure can cook and that must balance the scales a lot, hehe! That is an IMPRESSIVE stash of maple syrup and I love it that there is no egg in the recipe which means I can make it for my sister!
Yum Yum Yum!! Ilove love love Maple Syrup!!! I think it would be pretty cool to be able to sing…and speak French.
Thank you Lorainne for this♥x
There is no doubt that you can cook! This pudding looks so good.
As for sewing? I can barely sew my son’s stuffed animal tail back to the body
As always, great blog post.
Made this pudding last night – WOW!!! Incredible smell and flavour. I was a little nervous when adding the sauce, it looked like there was too much for the pudding…but it ended up being perfect in amount and taste. The licking of bowls and second helpings proved that. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m jealous of your maple stash, lol! I need to replenish my own.
The pudding looks like the perfect answer to a chilly fall day (can you tell I’m longing for autumn? 
).
this looks sooo yummmm…. drooling all over my keyboard at work… not a good look lol
darn right you can cook! and really, i think that skill is more important, impressive, and interesting than all those things you can’t do. this pudding would appease my addiction to maple syrup quite well.
Oh Lordy, nothing beats authentic maple syrup rather than the terrible watery stuff on supermarket shelves.
I cannot sit on a train for more than 5 minutes without falling asleep!
Beautiful dessert
I make one like this but with golden syrup. I’ll have to try out this version, it sounds great!
I would love to be able to sing. Karaoke is my idea of hell but i’d love to have the talent to do it (well).
I’d also like to know how you came to the 22m length for your swimming ability! Lol
You know, I don’t think I had pancakes with REAL syrup (maple, of course) until my late teens. There’s been no going back after that. I’m sure this pudding cake is delicious.
I made this Maple Syrup pudding on a cold Friday night for a family night in front of the fire. We slurped it all up with lashings of thick cream. So yummy.Loved the texture and the crusty top. I think mine was a bit burnt on top but it looked and tasted great!
I never thought about Maple syrup in my pudding chomeur, but this sounds great and I’ll give it a try for sure
Ahh, Pudding Chômeur. Excellent. I actually forgot about this, and have a nice stash of maple syrup at the ready and a cold house making me feel like eating warm pudding (let’s forget about the holiday spread for now).
I am curious as to how you know you cannot swim further than 22mtres. It’s quite a specific number.
I was cradling a bottle of maple syrup while on the flight from Toronto back home… and would probably end up not opening it because it’s just too precious!! But oh my goodness this pudding is just to die for Lorraine!! Can I lick my screen please?
YUM, how did I miss this one…cannot go past a great dessert recipe.
? made it the other night (and teenagers like maple syrup from the bottle) but are you sure about this instruction -”Spread in greased 8-inch (2 L) square glass baking dish.”
am going to try again in a smaller dish , tasted great
I can’t drive either [it's a fear]
I can’t sing
I can’t cook!!
Embarassingly, I’ve never made it past my driving ‘learner’ plates either (which have expired since I moved to the UK, so I now have to start all over again if I want to be able to drive). But cook I can do!
This looks so delicious for a stormy Autumn evening! Maple syrup is heaven in a pudding or drizzled over proper porridge with caramelised bananas – but it is horrendously expensive here!
Briony xx
I couldn’t wait to try this.
I used plain flour (I wasn’t sure what all purpose was).
My only comment was that it tasted sodaish. If I made it again, I would use self raising flour and less baking powder.
Everyone ate every scrap, so perhaps I’m being a bit picky.
Regards
Jean
I tried this recipe tonight with a few minor adjustments. I omitted the raisins (some people in my household can’t stand them), and reduced the amount of sugar to 1/4 cup, and maple syrup to 3/4 cup. It was still ridiculously sweet & I think I could have reduced the sugar even more. Also, there was a lot of pudding compared to the amount of cake, so I might reduce the overall liquid by a bit next time. That being said, the flavour was very good, and I think I will likely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
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[...] Chomeur which is a pudding I’ve been fascinated with for a while – so much so that when I got home I made one in homage to this. It arrives in a large bowl and we dig in. It is like a very sweet bread and butter pudding [...]
[...] am looking forward to trying Lorraine’s (from Not Quite Nigella) recipe for Maple Syrup Self-Saucing Pudding and I am also very excited to try Steph’s (from raspberri cupcakes) recipe for Black Forest [...]
[...] * Maple Syrup Self Saucing Pudding [...]
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