A Delicious Legacy – Nana’s Hot Fudge
I come from a long line of good cooks. My Nana, Mary Freeman Hartigan, and my mother, Mary Hartigan Kilpatrick, both loved to cook and have passed along wonderful recipes. The Hot Fudge recipe on the blog today is one of their treasures.
My mother passed away in March and I think about her every day. She was truly a woman of substance: smart, funny, resourceful, well read, opinionated and, in many ways, ahead of her time.
She wrote a cookbook in the 1977 called “From the Kitchen of Jestin Lamb” named after her Nana. The handwritten, pamphlet cookbook was advertised in the back of magazines like Good Housekeeping, Family Circle and the Ladies Home Journal – the way it was done before the Food Network! She sold a few cookbooks, not enough to get rich, but the copies my sisters and I have are used often and lovingly maintained.
I will share more recipes from this exceptional collection down the road – stay tuned for the best ham sauce recipe for Easter next year – it’s worth waiting for.
This Hot Fudge recipe is truly one of my favorites – I have adapted it to include more modern ingredients and easier tools, and I like to think I’ve enhanced it in a way both my mother and my Nana would appreciate.
At our house, we pour this rich, luxurious Hot Fudge on our favorite ice cream. It’s delicious on vanilla and coffee, and it’s killer on peppermint; especially at this time of the year.
I share this recipe with love from our family to yours.
Nana's Hot Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 10 oz bag Ghiradelli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp instant espresso power or 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is just boiling
- Add the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved - about 3 minutes
- Get the chocolate chips ready - I highly recommend the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips for this recipe - they do not contain gluten (according to the ingredient list & websites I've searched) and have a rich chocolate flavor. If you can't find them, substitute 2 cups of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Reduce the heat to low and add the chocolate chips to the pan
- Continue to cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted
- Grab your coffee source - this espresso powder is readily available in most grocery stores. If you can't find it, substitute 2 tsp of regular instant coffee or a 1/4 cup brewed coffee. You can also make the sauce without the coffee and it will still be delicious
- Add the salt and espresso powder, instant coffee or 1/4 cup brewed coffee to the pan and stir to combine
- Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and has thickened slightly - 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and vanilla
- Stir the sauce to incorporate the butter and vanilla - it will look smooth and silky.
- Serve over your favorite ice cream - my favorites are vanilla, coffee or peppermint - top with toasted pecans for additional flavor
- Store the sauce in the refrigerator and reheat as needed. It makes a fantastic gift too!
