Who knows how this crazy holiday tradition even began, but for the past several years, on Christmas Eve night, I have been making peppermint ice cream (made with crushed candy canes, no less) and homemade hot fudge sauce for my husband and boys. Peppermint and chocolate is probably my favorite flavor combo (and the favorite of my 12 year old, as well) and it is a perfect combo for the holidays, no doubt.
But to dine on ice cream on this special night? Kind of unusual. Here’s the thing, though, as a child, one of my fondest food memories – of the sweet variety – is of going to Brigham’s, a restaurant chain on the East Coast, with my dad for – you guessed it – peppermint stick ice cream and hot fudge. I loved the ice cream’s pink hue, as well as the bits of minty candy sprinkled throughout, and the thick, deeply chocolate-y chocolate sauce melting atop my scoop (or two) always made me swoon. And, yes, whipped cream was often involved.
So, long story short, when I started thinking about fun Xmas Eve desserts, I thought of my fave ice cream and eating it with my pops – and not long after that, I was making it for my family. And now I’m it sharing with you . . . the hot fudge recipe I’ve included here is from my forthcoming book, The Vintage Baker, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon (just saying . . . ). But let’s not tell my publisher, k? Might be a tad early for me to be sharing recipes . . . but please, really, I mean how can I resist?
[yumprint-recipe id=’131′]Find more ice cream recipes right this way!
