A Sweet Sunday

Nothing is better than an ice cream treat when temperatures soar well into the 90's. 

LOL While making the chocolate sauce, my husband inquired about the "why" of it. He thought it seemed easier to get a can of Hershey's out of the refrigerator. Well, yes, that's a good plan, but we were out, and I could not justify a 50-minute round-trip grocery run when it only takes 15 minutes to make this yummy sauce.  

Caramel Fudge Sauce 

Cook's notes: The recipe is from Food Network and makes about 1 cup. Serve it warm and refrigerate any leftovers. Black Cherry ice cream pairs well with the chocolate sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 heavy cream 
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Sea salt
• Optional
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua 

Directions:

• Place sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves in the water. 
• Continue to cook, swirling but not stirring until sugar turns to amber 6-7 minutes. 
• Remove the pan from the burner, add cream and butter. Whisk until smooth. 
• Stir in chocolate, vanilla, Kahlua if using, and whisk until smooth. 
• Add a dash of sea salt and mix in. 

If that was not enough chocolate there's one more sweet surprise for you. 

And it's a good day when you have all the ingredients. 

Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Cook's Notes: The cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Toffee and sea salt add flavor and crunch.  The recipe adapted from  themarblekitche.com and makes 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1-3/4 cups semi-sweet chips  (I used chocolate chunks as it was what I had on hand) 
• 1 cup toffee bits e.g. Heath
• 1 teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling on top

Directions:

• Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. 
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low just until combined—don't overmix. Add in chocolate chips and toffee bits, mixing on low until combined. 
• Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Roll dough with floured hands into 2-1/2 inch balls. Bake for 10-11 minutes. It's better to underbake then overbake.  
• Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. 
• Store in an airtight container.