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03/24/2005 Archived Entry: "Schrafft's Hot Fudge Sauce"

Last week Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food was nominated by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) as the best book published this year in the “American” category. The book awards themselves will be held on April 16 at the association’s conference in Dallas, Texas. I think I have a good shot. While I usually attend the conference, and in fact usually speak at the conference and broadcast my radio program from the conference, I won’t be able to travel this year. I leave it to my editor to accept for me – and to call on her cell-phone the moment she knows anything. I will, of course, keep you posted, too.

Here’s a recipe that had to be cut from the book (there is only so much space in a book): Schrafft’s Hot Fudge Sauce, which many of you will remember fondly, although I just as frequently hear paeans of nostalgia for the butterscotch sundaes with salted almonds. Still, "many New Yorkers remember Schrafft's for its hot-fudge sundaes,” claimed a New York Times piece of June 15, 1988 from which this recipe comes. Schrafft’s had closed its last restaurant15 years earlier, but had just begun production of its famous ice cream in Port Richmond, Staten Island. The recipe, which had always been kept secret, was “revealed” to the Times to give the paper a hook on which to write about the new ice cream.

What happened to the reincarnated ice cream? It didn’t taste as good eating it at home as it did eating it at a table at Schrafft’s. Besides, by 1988, those who remembered Schrafft’s in its heyday were beyond getting excited about supermarket ice cream by the same name. The product disappeared almost as soon as it was introduced.

The Schrafft’s recipe that did make it into “New York City Food” is for the famous Cheese Bread. You’ll have to buy the book to get that one.

Schrafft’s Hot Fudge
Makes 1 scant cup

The sauce can be reheated or kept hot, preferably in the top of a double boiler.

2 tablespoons non-alkalized cocoa (such as Hershey’s brown label)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon salted butter
Few drops malt vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, mix together until smooth, the cocoa, sugar, and 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, the light corn syrup, chopped chocolate, butter, and a few drops of malt vinegar.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 220 to 225 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, then allow to rest about 3 minutes.