Hot Fudge Sauce - A Traditional Farm Life

A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton

Hot Fudge Sauce on Deb Sanders Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends!  Blustering winds and dropping temperatures are a cool reminder that winter is indeed on its way.

We’re hoping to see walls and a roof up on Enterprise’s new Grist Mill before cold weather truly sets in.  Concrete was poured, and walls are in the process of being built to be put in place on Saturday’s “Barn Raising.”  By the time you read this, the barn raising will be history, but the historical nature of the project will continue. 

Joe Minick has spearheaded this nod to Enterprise’s long history connected to the Hoffman Mill.  We appreciate his desire to see a flour mill back in Enterprise.  It is located on Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad property immediately after you cross the bridge across from Great Plains Manufacturing—and within eyesight of the location of the old Hoffman Mill.

Flour has been flying lately here in the Test Kitchen, but for an altogether different reason.  I’ve been busy putting together bakery and spice mixes for sale at our restaurant and specialty shops here in the area.

Currently we have Buttermilk Pancake, Maple Cornbread, Wholegrain Maple Cornbread, Quick Cream Biscuits and Country-Style Milk Gravy mixes to make your meal preparation a little less hectic this time of year.

We are also offering four spice blends our Buggy Stop customers will find familiar.  You can now make Buggy Stop Chili anytime in your own kitchen with our Chili Seasoning blend.  Don’t forget the Maple Cornbread!

We use our “House Seasoning” on our ribs and chicken, add it to ground beef we’re browning, to simmering soups and gravies, and even stir it into sour cream for a quick chip or veggie dip.

We’re even multiplying the many ways you can eat Buggy Stop Bread.  With the help of our Garlic Bread Seasoning, you can now make garlic butter at home just like we use for our Custom Grilled Sandwiches.  In addition, we are even offering our own Cinnamon Sugar blend to sweeten up you next slice of toast!

I’m currently developing a line of gourmet pancake mixes here in the Test Kitchen to add some welcome variation to our Buttermilk Pancake Mix.  Our children have been willing taste testers as I’ve served up Gingerbread Pancakes, Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and even Sunflower State Multigrain Pancakes--taking hint from our popular Sunflower Multigrain Bread. 

Next up in the Test Kitchen are Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Banana Nut, Pumpkin Spice, and just for fun—Cranberry pancakes.  And to think our children used to think breakfast was boring!

While it is true that a chocolate pancake with chocolate chips topped with whipped topping and hot fudge sauce for breakfast will rival—and perhaps exceed--my childhood favorite, “Cocoa Pebbles,” for an early morning sugar rush, at least your blood sugar will be on an “all-natural with no artificial ingredients” high!  (Parents with young children, a note of caution--maybe you better save this one for the weekend!)

Surprisingly, it turns out the pancake the children all flipped for was my Brown Sugar Oatmeal version.  With chocolate chips it was superb—no topping needed--but I couldn’t resist trying the Hot Fudge Sauce recipe I’d been wanting to try on top.  Since our goal is usually to restrict sugar at breakfast, none of our children passed up the chance at putting what they would usually only see on ice cream on top of a pancake!

And so, friends, the choice is yours:  Sweeten the family up at breakfast, or wait for until later for a Hot Fudge Sundae.  Either way, this simply rich homemade fudge topping is sure to bring a smile to their faces.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

dash salt

1/4 cup butter, cut in 4 equal pieces

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In medium saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, and salt.

2.   Add butter and milk; bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat, but maintain the full rapid boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

3.  Stir in vanilla extract.  Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.  Sauce will thicken considerably as it cools.  Refrigerate leftovers.  

Yield: 1 cup.

Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton

Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas.  She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children.  You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.