Cook the maple syrup in a lightly buttered or oiled saucepan until it smells like caramel.
Dilute it by adding a third of the cream and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, add the rest of the cream, then add the mixture to the eggs, beating lightly.
Pour the mixture into ramekins and bake in a Bain-Marie in the oven (make sure the oven is not heated to more than 300°F).
The mixture will set as it bakes, starting with the edges to the centre. When set but still jiggly in the middle, about the size of a toonie ($2 coin), remove from the oven, as the mixture will continue to bake a little.
Let cool, then refrigerate to cool completely, for about four hours.
Remove the ramekins from the fridge about half an hour before serving. Sprinkle them with a thin layer of white sugar (or a mixture of brown sugar and white sugar), then caramelize with a culinary torch at the end.