This recipe is perfect for a group of teacher friends (or any group of good friends) on the first or last day of school or hey, any day where you need to relax.  Compliments of HBF Teacher, the author of No Teachers Left Behind, please enjoy.

First/Last Day Cake

Ingredients:

·        1 box yellow cake mix, without pudding (yes I said box because everything should not be done the hard way).

·        1 box (3 ½ oz) instant vanilla pudding (please see the previously mentioned note).

·        4 eggs

·        1 cup milk

·        1 shot of Canadian Club whiskey (1 ½  oz)

·        ½  cup cooking oil (I use vegetable just because it’s the healthy thing to do)

·        1 cup finely chopped walnuts

                          Additional ingredients for the Cake Topping:

·        ¼ pound (1 stick) butter

·         1 cup sugar

·        ½ cup Canadian Club whiskey

·        1 Bottle of the tastiest/cheapest wine you can find (not used for any portion of the cake, but gee, it tastes good going down).  Add an additional bottle of wine for each additional group member.

Now get the cooking party started:

1)    Place any George Clooney movie in the DVD/TV player in your kitchen.  For extra flavor, select one of the Ocean’s movies – that way you can have a George, Matt, and Brad trio.  Looking at them will make the stirring more fun.  Be sure and have your first glass of wine when George Clooney appears on screen the first time.

2)    Combine the cake mix, pudding, eggs, milk, whiskey (shot glass), oil, and walnuts.

3)    Mix for 3 minutes then pour into a greased floured tube pane.

4)    If exhausted after all this work, please have another glass of wine.

5)    Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

6)    While cake is baking, remember to lust over George Clooney with wine and friends.   During the last five to ten minutes of bake time, be sure and pre-make your syrup topping.

7)    Remove cake from oven, but leave the cake in the pan.

8)    Poke holes with a meat fork in the top of the cake.

9)    Pour about two thirds of the syrup topping (see directions below) over the cake and let stand for about thirty minutes.

10) Remove the cake from the pan and pour the remaining syrup over the cake.

11) Enjoy with more wine, friends, and George.

**Syrup Topping directions:

To make the topping, melt the butter, add the sugar and whiskey and cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy.

**When friends are gone and you're uncorking that last bottle of wine, be sure and reach for a copy of a great read, NO TEACHERS LEFT BEHIND by yours truly.

Happy Eating and Reading,

        HBF