Proof is in the Pudding

Last week, we were in need of something sweet, preferably something chocolate. Since we had resorted to eating chocolate chips straight out of the bag, I decided I should bake something. I started flipping through my cookbooks and settled on this:

Brownie pudding. Uh huh. Brownie. Pudding. Yes, we'll take some of that. Amazingly, I had everything on hand and it was really easy to make.

Brownie Pudding
Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left the walnuts out because Keith doesn't like them)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup boiling water
Vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended)

Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, the 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, the baking powder, and salt.

Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in the walnuts if you are using them.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and the 1/4 cup cocoa powder; stir in the boiling water.

Slowly pour water mixture over batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm. Spoon cake into dessert bowls; spoon sauce over cake. If desired serve with vanilla ice cream.

You would expect the sauce to stay on the top and the brownie part to be on the bottom, but the brownie rises to the top and the gooey pudding sauce is all left underneath. Yum.