For a Next-Level Hot Fudge Sundae, Add Flaky Salt

I hold a strong belief that dessert isn’t dessert unless ice cream is somehow involved.

So you can imagine that I take my hot fudge sundaes pretty seriously. It’s a bit more complicated than warm chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream, but it's not too complicated because simplicity is what makes a sundae such a craveable classic.

In my updated version, I wanted add texture and balance that would avoid the deluge of sweet on sweet. I also wanted to make it the sort of dessert that’s attainable when a sudden craving for sweetness hits, but not so attainable so it loses its rarity. 

I start with the hot fudge sauce. Here, I keep the flavors classic but take care to use really great ingredients. In lieu of corn syrup, I reach for Lyle’s Golden Syrup, which is a less refined syrup made from cane sugar. There’s a bit of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate to balance the sweetness. The final result is thick with a bit of chew and heft.

  

Since I now know that you all have mastered the art of bruléeing when you made the Pistachio Honey Crème Brûlée, I trust that you can apply the same method to bananas.

Scorching the bananas keeps their freshness intact while covering the surface with a thick, nearly bitter caramel. 

All we need now is a bit of cream—unsweetened and whipped until it resembles soft pillowy waves. To finish, I top my sundae with a shower of sprinkles in the form of flaky vanilla salt (regular flaky salt can stand in), toasted sesame seeds, and coarse turbinado sugar. It’s a subtle sprinkle that immediately elevates this sundae.

There’s a soft crunch, a slightly savory flavor, and, every few bites, a pleasant pucker of salt to interrupt the sweetness. 

Now that is dessert. 

Hot Fudge Sundae with Brûléed Bananas and Salty Sprinkles

Makes 1 sundae

For the hot fudge:

1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (100 grams) Lyle's Golden Syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the salty sprinkles:

1 teaspoon flaky vanilla salt (regular flaky salt is fine, too)
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the brûléed bananas:

1/2 banana
1 tablespoon sugar

For the finished sundae:

3 small scoops vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup hot fudge 
1 teaspoon salty sprinkles 
Lightly whipped cream

See the full recipe (and save and print it here).