Boston Cream Poke Cake

Healthy? no. Easy and delicious? yes. Not everything can be "good for you."

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix
2 (3 1/2 ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding mix
4 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate frosting

Directions:
Make cake according to package instructions.
Mix pudding mix with milk.
Whisk until lumps are gone, about 2 minutes. Pudding should be pourable but not thin.
While cake is still warm, poke holes in cake using a wooden spoon.
Pour pudding over cake and gently press pudding into cake.
Cool cake in the refrigerator.
Remove foil from frosting.
Microwave for 10-15 seconds and stir.
Frosting should be pourable but not bubbly.
Pour over cake and spread gently.

Thanks to food.com for the recipe.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has several recipes using lemons- Very Lemon Bread page 119, Luscious Lemon Loaf page 198, Lemon Rub Pie page 178 and more.

This new one sounded too good not to try.
Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker, get the kind that makes a 9x13 size) Ingredients called for on back of cake box
2 pkg (3.4oz each) instant lemon pudding
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. cold milk
1 1/4 c. water

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare cake as directed on package.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
Beat dry pudding mixes, granulated sugar, milk and water with whisk 2 min.; pour over batter in dish.
Don't spread it. You'll fail.
Place baking dish on baking sheet. (Baking sheet will catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.)
Bake 55 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 20 min. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.)
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve warm.
Refrigerate leftovers.

Tips:
For stronger lemon flavor, add the zest and juice from 1 lemon to pudding mixture before pouring over batter in baking dish.
Try serving this topped with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
If you don't fancy lemon, you may substitute vanilla flavor instant pudding.
Thanks to Mandy's Recipe Box.

Salty Popcorn Caramel Custard

Great idea to top off caramel custard with salty caramel popcorn. We had this at Culinary Dropout on 16th Street in Phoenix. Fun new restaurants with children friendly game area.

It reminds me of a great dessert on page 85 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.  Thanks to El Chorro Lodge for giving us this fabulous Caramel Custard Flan. Try it topped off with caramel popcorn for a delightful presentation.

Caramel Custard Flan from El Chorro Lodge

Ingredients:
2-3 cups sugar
3 1/4 cups milk
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
5 extra-large eggs
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add 2-3 cups sugar gradually, making sure that each addition of sugar is melted before adding more.
Heat until all of the sugar is melted and light brown. Pour evenly into eight custard cups to just cover the bottom. Place the custard cups in a 9 X 13 inch baking pan.

Scald the milk, cream and 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Combine the eggs, egg yolks, rum and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well. Whisk the scalded milk mixture into the egg mixture gradually until smooth. Pour into the prepared custard cups, filling to the top. Add enough water to the larger pan to come two-thirds of the way from the top of the cups. Bake for 1 hour or until the tops are firm. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Loosen the flam from the side of each cup with a knife. Invert onto a serving plate and garnish with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Serves 8