For those of you that have been on a cruise recently, may have found the overabundance of food aboard the ship to be overwhelming. Coming straight off one of those behemoth smorgasbords of the sea, I have to admit that I did amazingly well with my calorie intake. I somehow managed to maintain myself and stay clear of the all-you-can-eat burgers, double-fisted fry portions, midnight pizza runs, noodle-saucy Korean BBQ bowls, belly buster breakfasts, and swirly-warms of cool and refreshing soft-serve ice cream. I did, however, cave when it came to a dessert that I affectionately renamed "Warm Chocolate Brownie Mix;" basically a thin crusted fudge-like brownie creation with a molten chocolate center. Those scrumptious little bowls of heaven tasted much like raw brownie mix, only warm and, thankfully, sans salmonella. Upon first bite, I threw all calorie-caution to the wind. To hell with skinny jeans and two-piece swim suits, I had found utopia. I ordered that damn dessert every.single.night of the cruise. If someone else in my group ordered it and didn't like it, I ate theirs too. Although my wonderful wait staff agreed to give me the recipe, I neglected to get it from them before heading home. *sigh* I did an internet search and found a recipe that is similar, yet not quite as perfect as the one on board the ship. However, if you love overly sweet chocolate desserts that are easy to prepare, this recipe might be perfect for you.
What you need:
Big (5 qt.) slow cooker
Large mixing bowl
Medium sauce pan
Whisk
Non-stick cooking spray
Four sheets of paper towel
For the cake base:
1 19.25oz box of good brownie mix
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
2/3 cup of water
For the sauce:
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup packed brown sugar (it will be very sweet with this amount of sugar)
4 tablespoons of Dutch cocoa
Step 1: Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, plug in and turn on to HIGH.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, eggs, oil, and water. Whisk until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
Step 3: Mix water, brown sugar and Dutch coca in a sauce pan; cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is incorporated.
Step 4: Remove sauce from heat and slowly pour mixture directly onto the cake base mixture in the slow cooker.
Step 5: Lay paper towel across the opening of the slow cooker to catch condensation; cover with lid.
Step 6: Cook over high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Step 7: Check paper towel every 30 minutes to ensure it isn't soaked through and to ensure sauce mixture isn't burning to the sides of the slow cooker. Change paper towel as needed.
Cake is done when the sides and top have set up 1/4" to 1/2" and center sauce is bubbling.
Wait 20 minutes to cool before serving.
Enjoy!