Makes: 2½ cups/592 ml/850 grams
I thought that my hot fudge was the best ever until I tasted pastry chef Letty Flatt’s, at Snowball on the slopes of the Deer Valley ski resort. The secret of its deliciously fudgy texture is using unsweetened chocolate, with its high percentage of cocoa butter. When the hot chocolate hits the cold ice cream, the cocoa butter hardens instantly to the perfect consistency: smooth, sticky, and fudgy.
| fine quality unsweetened or 99% cacao chocolate, coarsely chopped | 113 grams (4 ounces) | about ⅔ cup |
| unsalted butter | 85 grams | 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) |
| unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder | 19 grams | ¼ cup (sifted before measuring) |
| sugar | 267 grams | 1⅓ cups |
| heavy cream | 232 grams | 1 cup (237 ml) |
| pure vanilla extract | . | 1 teaspoon (5 ml) |
1) In the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, heat the chocolate and butter. (Do not let the bottom of the upper container touch the water.) Stir often with a silicone spatula until completely melted. Whisk in the cocoa and set aside.
2) In a small heavy saucepan, heat the sugar and cream over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boiling point and then whisk it into the chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth.
3) Transfer the hot fudge to a heatproof pitcher. Cover and keep it warm for up to an hour. It can be hot or room temperature when poured onto the ice cream; reheat it in a microwave or double boiler when ready to use.
Store
Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, 3 weeks; frozen, 3 months (Bring to room temperature or heat before using.)