Whip It Up - Week 3 - saucy pudding cake

The recipe challenge continues. I made a dessert on Sunday night from a recipe ripped out of Southern Living. I'd had it clipped for years, because it was a take off of a recipe I love - Brownie Pudding. I have a 1960's era Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, originally published in 1953. They've since revised a number of times, most recently last year, but my mom learned to cook with this version and when I moved out, she found another one at a yardsale for me. Some of the recipes crack me up - prune whip, lots of spam, canned products. But there are still classics. The revised version changed the sugar cookie recipe, which my mom has used for decades. Heresy! Anyway, on page 190, there's a recipe for a quite delicious brownie pudding. You make this batter that's sort of like a cake batter, then top it with a mixture of brown sugar and cocoa, then pour on boiling water. Pop it in the oven, and as it cooks, the layers separate into a yummy chocolate pudding topped by a decent cake. Love. I've seen the recipe tons of other places over the years - it's relatively lowfat because it uses cocoa - but almost never credited to Better Homes and Gardens. Here's an exact duplicate of the BHG recipe. Note the serving size listed is for 4, which is ridiculous - serves more like 6-8, or even more. Anyway, make this recipe - it's easy, tasty (have ice cream on hand), and relatively not terrible for you. I've only had one person not like it in years of making it for potlucks - she wasn't a fan of cocoa for the chocolate, felt it wasn't rich enough.

So, over the past years, I've clipped out other recipes for pudding cakes, but never tried another version. Sunday night was the night. From Southern Living, July 1998. Yes, 1998. My files know no age.

Saucy Pudding Cake
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter/margarine, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Beat 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients. Add to sugar mixture alternately with 1/2 cup water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in oats, raisins, and walnuts. Spoon into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup brown sugar. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over top. Do not stir. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 6 to 8 servings.

Was the recipe easy to follow?
Super easy and fast.

Did it taste good?
It did, though not great. It made the pudding, and maybe the biggest problem was no ice cream to eat with it. But there's something a little off about the flavor. The pudding is a little, I don't know. Off somehow (remember, pregnant - texture is a Big Deal). I think it'd make a good fall dessert - maybe add chopped apples? - with the spices. The oatmeal maybe isn't great? But I think something is needed for body.

Kid friendly?
Yes - she also enjoyed helping make it. Easy.

Would I make it again?
Not as good as the brownie version, that's for sure, but given how easy and relatively tasty, a keeper. Now I just have to find the other version I clipped years ago and give that a go, too.

Here's the wrap up from last week, week 2. There were some yummy things tried.