End of Summer Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes!

Summer is drawing to a close.

Of course, now that we're in the middle of the hottest week of the year, it's a little hard to believe!

But the Sturgis Rally is over and school is starting back up all over the country (our college boys start this week), and we're seeing fewer out of state cars around town. Things are quieting down.

And we're getting our Hills back....

Not that we mind sharing them with the thousands upon thousands of visitors each summer...but...you know...there's nothing like the peace and quiet that settles over our Hills in the fall....

But wait! It isn't fall yet! There's time for at least one more summer fling!

Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae

This is so easy-peasy, especially if you do the "run to the store" method. Buy some brownies from your grocer's bakery section, a jar of hot fudge topping, and some vanilla ice cream and you're all set!

However, we're all about homemade here at the cafe, right? (at least when there isn't a looming deadline!)

First of all, you need a nice, fudgy brownie. You can make your own favorite recipe, or you can try Pam Hillman's Heaven in a Crock Pot. Just click the link and follow her directions.

The next item is ice cream. Don't we all love ice cream? You have to try Julie Hilton Steele's super easy recipe here.

And now we're all set for the piece de resistance! (Now go back and read that again, but use a cheesy French accent - real cheesy, like in an old Pink Panther movie. Isn't that better?)

Hot Fudge Sauce!!!

Okay, here are your ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cream, sugar and cocoa powder and heat it until it boils. Be sure to use medium heat and stir constantly!

Once the yummy stuff gets to a rolling boil (a gentle boil, but one that won't stop when you're stirring), cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. I cooked mine for 30 seconds after it started boiling, but the next time I'll cook it longer so that it's thicker and fudgier.

But don't cook it too long! Five minutes will put you into serious fudgedom, and you won't be able to pour it over your ice cream.

After it's done boiling, remove your pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the fudge into glass jars to store - I used some pint canning jars.

Don't worry about the spilled drips - they didn't stay there long!

Stir it a few times as it's cooling. Once it has cooled for a while, it's ready to use.

(And you can store the leftovers - just put a lid on the jars and put them in the fridge. Be sure to share one with a friend!)

Now that you have all the ingredients ready, it's assembly time.

Break the brownie in two pieces and arrange them in the bottom of your dish. Top with a scoop or two of ice cream, and then spoon some hot fudge all over everything.

I think I may have to celebrate the end of summer again tomorrow!

So tell us, what's your favorite way to say goodbye to summer?

But before you go, we have to have a gratuitous puppy picture, right? Thatcher is 21 weeks old now, and right smack dab in the middle of the awkward puppy stage. Head too big, feet always in the way, ears out the wazoo... A few more weeks and he will grow into all his parts - but he's so cute in his adolescent ugliness, isn't he?