Oh Fudge, I Miss Him Already

On Sunday night, we told Jack about a business trip Curt was taking this week. Only 2 nights, 3 days in Utah. I have been telling myself that it will be fun to have complete control of the remote for a change(once Jack is asleep) and that absence makes the heart grow fonder, etc. Jack was stoic about it on Sunday, so we both seemed to be home free from any emotional fallout.
Monday, Jack sang a different tune. After school, while eating a snack, he whined to me that he wouldn’t have anyone to play with since Dad was going to Utah. When I asked him about it, Jack worried about who would be there to play video games with him. I reminded him that I could play Mariokart, but that didn’t appease him at all. (I’m not that good, but better than Curt at this one game!) Since Jack doesn’t even play video games every day, I know he was just finding a way to express how he would miss his Dad.
Around the same hour, I started thinking of what treat I could make for Family Night (which we have every Monday night) and I remembered a recipe given to me five years ago that I had always meant to try. Any guesses which food group this sad blogger would choose from? Yes, that’s right, the chocolate one. We already had some vanilla ice cream in the freezer, so after dinner and our Family Night lesson, I dug out the Hot Fudge recipe. The giver of the recipe was a client of mine, who wanted to impart something of hers when our professional relationship had ended. Because it was a client, I can’t give you her name, of course. So I’m renaming it “Lonely Hearts Hot Fudge” in honor of Curt’s departure Tuesday. It turned out to taste very delicious, so that soothed the pain a bit. But the leftovers will make for a better welcome home celebration in a couple of days, don’t you think?
Recipe Note: This was given to me doubled of what I’ve written below. What I have written makes a full pint of fudge sauce, so that is more than plenty unless you have a very large crew or are making the sauce to give as gifts.
Lonely Hearts Hot Fudge
1/2 can (6 ounces) evaporated milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 heaping Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Melt butter in double boiler over low-med heat. Add cocoa and mix in well. Add sugar and stir well. Add milk and vanilla. Heat slowly to thicken, stirring very frequently. (Mine didn’t thicken to a commercial brand thickness, but did thicken enough for my taste. See photos below. I made a makeshift double boiler with my new cookware and did fine.) Cool slightly (it will thicken a little more as it cools) before serving as an ice cream topper.

The finished product!