Is this considered a food hack??  I guess it depends on who you ask.  When I was growing up you’d be considered a lazy bastard.  Nowadays, everyone is just too damn sensitive so it’s not nice to call people lazy bastards.  We have to call it a food hack.  I get it now.  You’re not a lazy bastard, it’s a food hack.  Wink, wink…

You can call it what you want but Jell-O pudding mix has a flavor that you can’t duplicate.  It also has a flavor that people immediately recognize and it puts a smile on their miserable faces.  After you’ve called them a lazy bastard.  If I had a dollar for every time someone tried vanilla pudding and said, “It’s good but it’s no Jell-O pudding. That’s for sure!”  I could almost have rent for the month.  Almost.  I live in New York.  Rent prices are absurd.

I’m not exactly sure if you’ve been following me.  I forgot the password and email account I use for my Mailchimp account.  The only person I know for sure who watches my every move is my stalker, Martha Stewart.  Who happens to have an unhealthy obsession with me.  The rumor that I started has it, that when Martha found out that I had come up with the Jell-O Vanilla Pudding Buttercream before her.  She went Martha crazy on her staff.  She allegedly was throwing stuff at them. Allegedly.  Her jealousy fuels me.  I love it!

If anyone else besides Martha has been following me, you will know that I love to make things with flavors that people recognize.  Many years ago I made a Juicy Fruit gelee.  It turned out fabulous.  I was really in love with it.  I will revisit this one and get you the recipe.

The Jell-O Pudding Buttercream is real simple and Brandi proof.  Brandi is my best friend in the whole wide world.  Absent minded as shit and my absolute soul mate. What I love about this buttercream is it’s one of those recipes when you have to take something to a party and you don’t feel like making anything.  You can throw this buttercream together in a matter of minutes, frost a Sara Lee pound cake, throw on some fruit and Food Network will give you a show.  Oh wait, they already gave that to Sandra Lee.  Sorry.

Alright..alright.. Here’s the recipe.  Enjoy your weekend.  Not many warm ones left.

“If you truly loved yourself – You could never hurt another” – Buddha 

Vanilla Jell-O Pudding Buttercream

2c                 Whole Milk  (473g)
1/4c             Powdered Sugar  (30g)
300g            Unsalted Butter, cubed

2 boxes of Instant Vanilla Jell-O Pudding Mix  (3.4oz box)

-Combine everything except the butter in your mixing bow
-With the whisk attachment, whip on high for about 2 minutes.  You’ll see the mix get thick.
-Add your butter and whip until you get a thick smooth buttercream, about 5 minutes.  Depending on how cold your butter happens to be.