Week of Sweets: Day 2, Brownie Pudding Cake

Brownie Pudding Cake rocks my world.

Imagine combining Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies with classic Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. Ooey, gooey, warm, and fudgy...This puppy literally oozes chocolate deliciousness.

And please don't forget that scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's essential.

Friends, there is little else I can say about this recipe. It's ridiculously scrumptious, and I'm convinced it's one of the best recipes Ina Garten has graced us with. It's got the outer crust of a brownie, but the inside rocks a gooey brownie batter/pudding consistency. Molten chocolate overload in the best possible way.

I baked Ina's Brownie Pudding for my dad's birthday party today. The Grill Sergeant's birthday is on December 25, so we always celebrate the week prior to Christmas so he can have his own special day.

And with Brownie Pudding Cake on the menu, it certainly was a special day.

Brownie Pudding Cake

(recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics Cookbook)

This molten chocolate brownie pudding will blow your chocolate-loving mind. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream...it's simply not optional.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2) Melt butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop; set aside.

3) With an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light yellow (about 5 - 8 minutes). When egg and sugar mixture is ready, add the cocoa powder and flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Slowly add the melted butter and mix again until just combined.

4) Pour the batter into the prepared dish and place the dish in a larger baking pan. Add hot tap water to the larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the casserole dish. Bake for exactly 1 hour. The center will appear under-baked (oh yum!). After cooling, serve with a big ol' scoop of vanilla ice cream.