Poor Man's Pudding

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). For the maple sauce: Bring the maple syrup, cream, brown sugar and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. For the batter: Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a mixer. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, and beating until just combined. Divide the batter among 8 ramekins. Pour the syrup over the batter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.