A thoroughly decadent topping, my version of a classic fudge sauce that hardens on ice cream, this Gold Brick Chocolate Fudge Sundae Sauce is still one of my favorite desserts.
When I was a young teenager, I would travel by bus on Saturday to have lunch with my mother who managed a designer boutique inside a department store called Stix, Baer & Fuller in St. Louis, Missouri. Whatever else happened during those events, there is no doubt that a sundae with Gold Brick Chocolate Fudge Sundae Sauce was a big draw for me.
When I think of that time and how adventurous I was...always quick to catch a bus or ride my bike for miles and miles I sort of surprise myself in retrospect. Maybe it was the result of being the oldest of five kids (OK my brother was 11 months older but come on...no way was he more mature!) or maybe a gentler time, but no one ever worried or questioned the wisdom of my doing so and I loved the feeling of independence it gave me.
It was standard practice then for major department stores to have fabulous restaurants included in their space and I looked forward to those trips. To be honest, my mother and I had a difficult relationship and those trips were special for me because they let me feel like I was special to her.
I'm sure it was a combination of things, maybe my attempt to connect with her without the burden of all of those siblings in the middle of our relationship but I think it was way more than that.
Sadly, my mom started drinking when I was 10 years old, in 5th grade. Even sadder, it resulted in what I might label, 'The Original Dysfunctional Family.' In retrospect I wonder if my trips on that bus, a 1 hour travel from a suburb of St. Louis to a downtown department store, were more to have a moment with her without the alcohol and the ensuing scenes it always brought to bear on our household.
Where she could be my Mom and I could for one moment be treated like the girl I was, not the responsible teenager everyone expected me to be. Where for one brief moment, we could have lunch in a beautiful place and I was the center of her attention and where I could see her as the creative, intelligent woman we all knew her to be but which too often got lost in a haze of bourbon and Pall Mall cigarettes.
My mother actually initiated the trend of 'Designer' boutiques during her tenure as the manager of woman's fashion for a major St. Louis retain chain and it was good for me to see how respected and talented she was in that environment.
So...I looked anxiously forward to those monthly Saturday visits but it's funny, I honestly can not recall a sandwich or salad or soup that I ever had during those lunches but have never forgotten what I ALWAYS had for dessert.
It's that crunchy hard chocolate and pecan part that I simply loved...and still love today. It wasn't a product we could replicate at home so it was only on that journey that I had one. Is it like Magic Shell? Nope, so much better. What goes into it:
- Butter
- Evaporated Milk
- Milk Chocolate Chips
- Semi Sweet Chocolate
- Sugar
- Toasted Pecans
After pouring this delicious sauce on the sundae, it is topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Gold Brick used to be available in some grocery stores but now it's limited to a couple of southern states and available online where it's pricey to have it shipped so I've used this homemade version for years; it's rich and so delicious and brings back all of those warm memories.
This sundae is not about the ice cream; it's all about this fabulous topping. Still make sure to buy some good vanilla bean ice cream, it needs to be worthy of the sauce! Over the years the only modification I've made is to revise the ingredients list from using all semi-sweet to a combination of milk and semi-sweet chocolate; that brought the end result much closer to the original that I remember.
I think one important note is that when chopping the nuts, make sure you do not chop them too finely. I used to use my Cuisinart to chop nuts for dishes but no more. Too much and the nuts become, for lack of a better word, nut dust!
I like larger, meaty chunks so recommend you get out your cutting board and a chef's knife and make quick work of them without resorting to a machine; the results will be worth it! Toast those morsels then too...taking them from raw to toasted is key! It only takes about 2 minutes in my toaster oven but the end result is worth those two little minutes.
Honestly what I made is almost gone and I don't believe we should ever be without this Gold Brick Chocolate Fudge Sundae Sauce...try it, you'll see!
PIN 'Gold Brick Chocolate Fudge Sundae Sauce'
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