Hot, muggy and bar none, the BEST ice cream sundae ever!

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have sun with a high of 88°F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight we’ll have clouds and a low of 62°F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

The Dew Point is  55.2°F, the humidity is 76%, and the outdoor temp is 62.8°F.

The wind direction is West between 0.0 MPH and 0.1 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 30.00, the Absolute pressure is 29.80 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 5:04 a.m. Sunset is 8:24 p.m., Moonrise is 2:05 a.m., Moonset is 4:36 p.m. and the moon phase is waning crescent being 18% illuminated.

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with clear skies.

We didn’t receive any rain here over the past 24 hours.

Space weather for today is:

The Solar flux is 72, the solar wind speed is 417 Kilometers per second and the chance of

a solar storm is 1%.

The following Sundae is most definitely NOT for the faint of heart!

This Sundae recipe is From the Sept. 13 New York Times

The composition of this sundae is classic.  There’s ice cream – the flavors of your choice in whatever quantities you want; sauce –homemade hot fudge sauce based on dark chocolate (not chips, please); fresh whipped cream; and two different add-ins, toasted slivered almonds and chopped chocolate bits.  It’s the bits that are the big surprise – they’re bittersweet chocolate and salt, melted together, frozen and then cut into morsels. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR SALTED CHOCOLATE BITS:

·         8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not chips), finely chopped

·         ¾ teaspoon fleur de sel (or 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt)

FOR HOT-FUDGE SAUCE:

·         6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not chips), finely chopped

·         ¾ cup heavy cream

·         3 tablespoons light corn syrup

·         2 tablespoons sugar

FOR THE SUNDAE:

·          About 3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

·         1 pint coffee (or favorite flavor) ice cream

·         1 pint vanilla (or favorite flavor) ice cream

·          Lightly sweetened whipped cream

PREPARATION

1.   To make the bits: Line a pie plate with plastic wrap. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or on low power in a microwave. Add the salt, stir to blend and then, using a spatula, spread the chocolate on the plastic, making a layer that’s 1/8-inch thick (shape doesn’t matter). Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface and freeze for at least 45 minutes. When you’re ready to make the sundaes, chop the chocolate into bite-size bits.

2.   To make the sauce: Put the chocolate, cream, corn syrup and sugar in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chocolate melts and comes to a light simmer, about 5 minutes. Still stirring, let it burble for a minute or two, then scrape it into a heatproof container. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed.

3.   To make the sundaes: If necessary, warm the fudge sauce in a double boiler, or microwave on low. For each sundae, sprinkle some salted chocolate bits and almonds in the bottom of a bowl, snifter or sundae glass. Top with a scoop or two of coffee ice cream, some hot fudge sauce, almonds and bits. Finish with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce, whipped cream, almonds and chocolate bits. Serve immediately with a long spoon.