Thanksgiving is over. Christmas madness is ready to begin. This week has been a little extra crazy in my household, because unfortunately, we had some flooding in our house last Monday. We aren’t in Hurricane zone or anything, Seattle just got more rain than we’re used to, and we discovered that the neighborhood we moved into this summer apparently has a drainage problem. Anyway, the flooring is ruined, some of the walls had to be torn out, and our insurance will cover none of it, so obviously this week calls for chocolate.

Good ol’ at-least-we-have-good-credit, I-didn’t-like-that-wallpaper-anyway chocolate.

So, this month, our Secret Recipe Club assignment was Cyndi’s Recipes. The recipe I went with is one that goes by many names, chocolate cobbler, chocolate pudding cake, or “that one recipe with the cakey part on top any gooey goodness on the bottom”. Cyndi’s version has Splenda and lower fat options, but considering my week, I’m going with the real-deal, carbs-be-damned version. Also, please excuse the photography, our camera is somewhere in the middle of Noah’s ark, to be taken out of the way of the flood waters.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• ¾ c sugar
• 3 tblsp unsweetened cocoa
• Vegetable cooking spray
• ½ c milk
• ¼c butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ c sugar
• ½c packed brown sugar
• ¼ c unsweetened cocoa
• 1½ c warm water

Combine first 5 ingredients in a 9-inch square pan coated with cooking spray; stir in milk, butter, and vanilla. Spread evenly in pan. Combine last ½ c sugar and following two ingredients; sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour warm water over top. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. And it’s probably a sin if you serve it without ice cream. Or at least throw some raspberries on there or something.