Name: Gilles Frozen Custards Mom's Brownie Sundae Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.5 cups unsalted butter; 1 cups granulated sugar; 0.25 cups brown sugar; 2 to taste large eggs; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 0.66 cups all-purpose flour; 0.33 cups cocoa powder (unsweetened); 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp baking powder; 0.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips (optional); 6 scoops vanilla ice cream; 1 cups hot fudge sauce; 0.75 cups caramel sauce; 1 cups whipped cream; 0.5 cups chopped roasted pecans or walnuts; 6 to taste maraschino cherries; 0.25 tsp sea salt (optional)

Method

Brownies

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal, and lightly grease the parchment.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts until fully melted. Allow to cool for 1–2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar and the slightly cooled melted butter until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla extract.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder into the wet mixture. Fold with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. If using, fold in semisweet chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly into the prepared 8x8 pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (do not overbake).

Remove from oven and let cool fully in the pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Use parchment overhang to lift brownies from pan and cut into 12 small squares or pieces suitable for sundaes.

Toppings & Assembly

Warm the hot fudge and caramel: Place hot fudge sauce and caramel sauce in separate microwave-safe bowls. Heat each in 20–25 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until pourable but not boiling (about 40–60 seconds total depending on microwave). Alternatively, warm gently in small saucepans over low heat, stirring frequently.

Prep bowls and ice cream: Place 2–3 brownie pieces into each of 6 sundae bowls (or glasses). Add 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the brownie pieces in each bowl, then add a second scoop and a third scoop so each sundae has 3 scoops total (6 servings × 3 scoops = 18 scoops; adjust if you prefer 2-scoop sundaes).

Sauce the sundaes: Spoon 2–3 tablespoons hot fudge over each sundae, followed by about 1–1.5 tablespoons caramel sauce per sundae. If you like a salted-sweet contrast, sprinkle a light pinch (about 1/48 tsp) of sea salt over the caramel on each sundae.

Finish with whipped cream, nuts, and cherry: Add a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) of whipped cream to each sundae, sprinkle roughly 1 tablespoon chopped nuts over the whipped cream and sauces, and top each sundae with a maraschino cherry.

Serve immediately: Serve the Brownie Sundaes right away while sauces are warm and brownies are slightly fudgy. If you prepared brownies earlier and chilled them, warm the pieces briefly (10–15 seconds in the microwave) before assembling so they’re not rock-hard.