December 2, 2008

But is it a PIE or a CAKE?

Since I now live alone, my co-workers get to benefit from my cooking experiments (cuz I can eat a whole lasagna by myself! yay right!) I've never gotten a complaint, and thankfully I don't pack on the additional pounds by finishing what the guys at my last place would have easily done.

The only regular exception to me cooking and eating by myself is when my best friend Sadie comes over for Thursday night Grey's Anatomy and dinner night. We started it maybe a year and a half ago and I look forward to it every week. Not only do I not have to eat all the food by myself, but have my best friend who helps me cook.

A couple Thursdays ago, we were itching for Thanksgiving, even though we knew it was only mid-month. So we emailed back and forth and decided to make my family's great broccoli and cheese casserole (sorry this recipe will not be shared). But for some reason I have this super sweet tooth and can only think about eggnog and a dessert... I quick glimpse pops into my head of Boston Cream Pie. After Sadie and I decide on the broccoli cheese, I email my co-worker Todd and ask him to guess what I'm going to make (and therefore him and my other coworkers would be able to enjoy the next day). He responds with "Boston Cream Pie"

Wait what? ha! I decide I HAVE to make both. After all, I have only made Boston Cream Pie once and the top part kind of crumpled and it wasn't the prettiest dessert I've made - but sure did taste good! So I conclude I need to try again - just to prove to myself it can look good. BUT I don't want to spend a ton of time cuz it's Grey's night! So I find this great fast and easy recipe.

1 (2 layer size) pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (1 oz.) sq. unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3-4 tsp. water

1) Prepare cake pans and mix following directions. Cool cake layers.

2) Prepare pudding mix following directions for pudding. Let stand 10 minutes. Lay 1 cake layer on platter, bottom side up.

3) Spread pudding over. Top with second cake, bottom side down.

4) In a pan, stir chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Blend enough water into chocolate mixture so it will pour easily. Spread chocolate mixture over top cake layer. Chill.

And the best part is.... I didn't mess up the two layers!!! making my dessert beautiful! I got a lot of compliments - people liked that it didn't have masses of chocolate, felt it was light, etc.

But over a couple beers that night, I had to ask the inspiration,

me: "What did you think of the Boston Cream Pie?"
Todd (we can call him BCP snob): "It was good but the first one was better"
me: "Why is that?"
Todd: "not enough chocolate"
me: "but I got compliments on that"
Todd: "and not enough custard"
me: "I have no idea what you are talking about.. Sadie and I definitely did not eat half the bowl before I put it on the cake"

(pause)

me: "ok fine. we did. plus it wasn't custard. It was vanilla pudding"
Todd: "you need to use custard"

and there you have it... I personally think it's good both ways and much easier this way, but if you have a BCP snob in your group, don't use the fast way. But the question still remains.. is it a pie or a cake?