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Ever had one of those days where you just needed chocolate?

serving-crunch

If you’re in the mood for pudding and cake mix, then you’re in for a treat.

Swiss Chocolate Crunch – Mid-Century Recipe Guest Test Sunday
Author: Duncan Hines (1968)
Ingredients
  • 1 package Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate Deluxe Cake Mix
  • 1 package chocolate instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts or 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or margarine
  • Sweetened whipped cream, ice cream, or coffee cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare chocolate pudding and spread pudding in the bottom of a 9-inch square pan. Combine dry cake mix, nuts or coconut, and melted butter. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Sprinkle over pudding.
  2. Bake at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, until center of crunch springs back when touched lightly with finger. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or serve warm with coffee cream.
3.2.1275

recipe-choccrunch

I thought this would be easy to shop for. Instant pudding, cake mix. What could go wrong?

cakeboxes

Well, at Publix they only had German chocolate. I phoned Buzz in a mild panic and asked if he knew what the difference between Swiss and German chocolate. There was a pause, and he asked if this was a question about politics or recipes. Krogers, Bi-Lo, and Piggly Wiggly all failed me as well, but finally at Walmart I found the elusive Swiss chocolate.

Further internet research on the question of whether Swiss Chocolate and German Chocolate cake were substantively different (aside from the “suggested serving” icings on the two boxes) didn’t yield much aside from mildly insulting jokes about the two nationalities. (We leave further research on that topic to the discretion of the reader.)

batter

I polled everybody in the house: coconut or walnuts? Reaction to the idea of nuts ranged from mild dislike to a giant tantrum…

Coconut it is.

crunchtopping

The “crunch” topping then gets put directly on instant pudding. (And we’re going to bake it. Sort of defeats the point of “instant” but whatever.)

baked

It looks exactly the same after baking. Maybe a little more glisteny?

tasting-bite

Sam the St. Bernard wanted to be included in the tasting (even though dogs aren’t allowed to have chocolate).

tasting-YES

“Oh wow, this is amazing.”

Verdict: Amazing.

Tasting notes:

I personally found this to be a little boring after a while (chocolate, chocolate, aaaaand you guessed it more chocolate). But it clearly impressed Buzz. Our pre-teen daughter also thought it was incredible, and keeps asking when I’ll be making it again. This would be an ideal dish to make for a teenage sleepover… or, apparently, a hungry spouse.

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