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Chocolate, Caramel, and Praline Sundae

Source of Recipe

From "Cook with Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"While I am providing a recipe here for the way I like to build a sundae, there really aren't any rules to follow other than making it the way you love to eat it—and for me that means homemade sauces because you can better control and develop the sweetness and richness and vary the textures. I think this is especially true for chocolate sauce, which has to have the right balance of bitter and sweet, and when made right, can be as satisfying as a fantastic cup of morning coffee. I like to keep a small batch of the hot fudge sauce and the caramel sauce in the door of the fridge (it keeps for a good month, though it doesn't usually last that long) so I'm always prepared to whip up a dessert when friends come over—or even when I am home alone and want to treat myself! You can also make this into a giant sundae and serve it family-style in the center of the table with lots of spoons for sharing."

List of Ingredients

Chocolate sauce:
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ cup (4 to 5 ounces) chopped semisweet chocolate
â—¦ 1 tablespoon dark rum

Caramel sauce:
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
â—¦ â…› teaspoon kosher salt

Praline:
â—¦ Nonstick cooking spray
â—¦ ¼ cup sugar
â—¦ â…› teaspoon cream of tartar
â—¦ ½ cup walnut halves

â—¦ 1 pint vanilla ice cream
â—¦ ¾ cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
â—¦ Whipped cream
â—¦ 12 marshmallows (or more mini marshmallows)


Recipe

Make the chocolate sauce: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, chocolate, and rum. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Make the caramel sauce: Spread the sugar in a thin, even layer over the bottom of a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Slowly pour in ¼ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and cook until it is light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Then return the pan to low heat and simmer, stirring often, until the ingredients come together, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the praline: Coat a rimmed sheet pan generously with cooking spray. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine ½ cup of water with the sugar and cream of tartar. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer, bring the mixture to 236° F and then stir in the walnuts, coating the nuts with the caramel. Immediately turn the praline out onto the prepared sheet pan, tilting the pan to encourage it to spread out. Set the praline aside to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Then turn the praline out onto a cutting board and crush it into bits by chopping it with a knife. Alternatively, transfer the praline to a food processor and pulse to break it up. Transfer the crushed praline to a medium bowl.

Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, form three generous scoops of vanilla ice cream, roll them through the chopped praline, and then arrange them together in a sundae dish. Serve the caramel sauce, strawberries, whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate sauce in bowls on the side so people can assemble their sundaes as they like. Store the praline in a plastic container with a fitted lid at room temperature. The caramel sauce and chocolate sauce should be stored separately in covered containers in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 to 6 sundaes