When a person is trying to start a diet - a person like myself - it is a very bad idea to put anything resembling Good Food into the house. An even worse idea is to put anything sweet in the house, because I will eat it, without fail. Last night, I faced down Diet Kryptonite and lost (but can you really blame me?).

I faced down Chocolate Eclair Cake and if you noticed, I really like eclairs (and not just because my initials are E. Claire). I don't feel too bad about my battle with the decadent dessert, so I'm going to share my recipe with you! There are no pictures, because by the time I even thought about taken any pictures the ravenous hordes that I consider family had already descended and demolished the 9x13" pan of heaven.

Chocolate Eclair Cake is a kind of misnomer for this dessert, seeing as this has no real cake in it at all. That doesn't stop me from requesting it every year on my birthday, though!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 box graham crackers
2 small boxes of french vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
12 oz Cool Whip

Topping:

1 stick of butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa *
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teas. vanilla
1/8 teas. salt

Make the topping first: melt butter, add sugar and cocoa. Add milk and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt.

Make pudding and fold into Cool Whip. In a 9x13X2" pan, layer crackers, 1/2 pudding mixture, crackers, 1/2 pudding mixture, crackers, and chocolate topping. Chill.


* I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, but any brand is fine.

Better the second day, but do you really want to wait? I don't blame you.