During times of stress and uncertainty, simple comforts can go a long way. Luckily, you don’t always have to hold it all together all the time. This perfectly gooey chocolate treat shows us that sometimes it’s okay to be a little messy. Little is required to concoct this simple treat, so go ahead and brighten your day with a bit of sweetness.
Ingredients
Step One
- 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Step Two
- 1/3 cup unbleached white flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup diced walnuts, if desired
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Step One
- Lightly oil a 9×9-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cocoa and sprinkle the mixture into the bottom of the baking pan. Pour the hot water over this and mix gently with a wooden spoon. The consistency will be lumpy.
Step Two
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well with a wooden spoon or a whisk, until there are no lumps in the batter. Add the nuts now, if desired
Step Three
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter evenly into the mixture of cocoa powder and brown sugar, which is already covering the bottom of the pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Let the cake sit for 20 minutes to allow the pudding to set before serving. It can be served warm, or refrigerated and served chilled.
This recipe is by Dianne West, and was originally published in Hollyhock Cooks: Food to Nourish Body, Mind, and Soil, page 153.
Feature Photo Credit: Robinhood
