Tin Roof Sundae

When I started using my new ice cream maker, I pretty much wanted to make every frozen concoction I could imagine all at once. Plain ice cream was quickly followed by ice cream sandwiches with a chocolaty sundae coming right after that. As I read the Demolition Desserts' recipe for vanilla gelato which I used in those ice cream sandwiches, I saw the note at the side of the page: “make a tin roof sundae with dark chocolate sauce (page 207) and salted Spanish peanuts.” Thank you, yes, I believe I will was my response. Throughout this book, there are helpful tips, suggestions, and added information in the sidebars, and I appreciate that each topic is thoroughly covered. For instance, on page 207 with the dark chocolate sauce recipe, there are more notes about how this sauce could be used as a filling for cupcakes, or as a warm sauce served with homemade graham crackers and marshmallows, or as a drizzled sauce over cakes, ice cream sandwiches, or bare skin. I didn’t make that up; it’s part of the list. There’s also a note about making this as milk chocolate sauce rather than dark chocolate. Despite the book’s focus on somewhat complicated, plated desserts, there is a lot to gain from learning the techniques for each component of those desserts. And, rather than preparing the desserts exactly as presented, the components can be used in simpler ways just as this sauce is being used here for a sundae.

There are two types of chocolate flavor in this sauce. First, 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate was melted with a combination of heated cream and honey. Then, cocoa powder was heated with water and whisked until thick. The cocoa mixture was added to the chocolate-cream mixture and whisked to combine. Butter and salt were added to finish the sauce. The result was a thick, full-flavored chocolate sauce with a nice shine. It can be refrigerated for a week, but it does harden when chilled. There are instructions for re-heating by placing the bowl of sauce into a larger bowl of warm water, but I found that removing it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before I plan to use it gave it enough time to soften to a spoonable state.

The luscious sauce poured over freshly made vanilla gelato and topped with salty peanuts was a very fine version of this classic sundae. All the contrasts, cold ice cream and warm sauce, oozy sauce and crunchy peanuts, sweet ice cream and salty nuts, make it what it is. One more classic ice cream treat has been re-created at home, and now there are only about a thousand others I’m looking forward to attempting next.