Whoo! It's Boston Cream Pie Day!

I can't freaking believe that this day has finally come. Of all national food days, this might be one of my top 50. Boston Cream Pie just screams Massachusetts, as in 1996 it was named their official state dessert. Everyone loves Boston Cream Pie, so pahk your cahs in teh Hahvahd Yahd and come on with me into the land of pie cakes!

A Boston Cream Pie, as many of you have experienced from Earhart or Ford dining halls, is actually a cake. A custard filled, chocolate sauce topped wonderful yellow cake. I mean, it's like a big, healthy(-er) doughnut! That's actually a pie! That's actually a cake! Invented at the Parker House Hotel in 1855, it was originally called a pie thanks to the ease of availability of pie tins over cake pans. The cake was baked in two thinner layers, then stacked with custard in between. The cream is typically either vanilla custard or crème pâtissière (pastry cream; probably whipped sugar and animal fat). The topping is a chocolate glaze of some sort, preferred as a chocolate ganache by most chefs. If you want to skip the pure chocolate, cream, sugar, and animal fat, you can make it very healthily, as my mom has for years.

Buy a low-fat yellow cake mix and make it in two pans.
Buy a sugar-free vanilla pudding mix and make it.
Buy Hershey's cocoa powder (naturally fat-free and sugar-free) and mix it with some milk until it reaches a glaze consistency.

Put one layer of cake down, cover top with pudding.
Put other layer of cake down, pour glaze over top.

Consume.

If pure deliciousness and healthiness is key, this recipe is truly a great way to make a low-fat Boston Cream Pie. If you want to go all out, HERE is a great recipe on about.com on a complex and luxurious Boston Cream Pie. Man, if they have some today at wherever I eat, I will not be able to contain my glee. Yes, glee.

Any fond memories you wish to share? Any national food days coming up? Hit me with a comment below and send your words spiraling out of control and into the blogosphere.

Cheers!