Ingredients
- 300 g day-old French bread, cubed
- 750 ml whole milk
- 100 ml Québec maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 60 g raisins
- 45 g melted unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 175 °C and butter a 2 L baking dish.
- Whisk milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Toss the bread and raisins with the custard, let stand 10 minutes, then transfer to the dish and drizzle with butter.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until puffed and just set; rest 10 minutes before serving.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace 150 g sugar with 100 ml maple syrup; reduce the milk by 50 ml, and bake at 175 °C instead of 190 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple gives this frugal traditional pudding a richer flavor than plain sugar and pairs naturally with raisins and cinnamon. It also adds a distinctly Canadian pantry character.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →