Eureka!!! I’ve Struck GOLD… Gold Brick Sauce that is…
Find those napkins in the James Farmer Shop!
Gold Brick Sundae… is there any better trio of words lashed together? Growing up, as many Southern children did, our family packed up the suburban and traipsed down the highways and hedges to the southerly tip of the Low Country to spend a few days at The Cloister – the crowing jewel of the Golden Isles. Beach time, swimming, riding bikes, tennis… yes… there’s all of that… but what I couldn’t wait for was the food. And some things haven’t changed!
When we went down to Sea Island, we indulged in Gold Brick Sundaes by the pool – and often again after dinner at the Beach Club too. (Pecan Pie a la mode kept us satisfied in the Main Dining Room.) As children, “luxury” to us was the fact that plush, warm striped beach towels were all we needed to don for such a decadent dessert. We could hop off the beach or emerge from the pool and feast like kings and queens on a luncheon set in paradise. Mama would wrap us in those big fluffy towels and magically, a “pool food” smorgasbord would appear. For the Farmer kids, not having to be “dressed” is still an ultimate luxury. We’re big fans of “soft clothes” and anything with an elastic waist.
“Pool food…” double decker PBandJ’s, French Fries, maybe a burger or chicken tenders, but always a Gold Brick Sundae at The Cloister. As a “grown up,” I feel like I should say that ultimate luxury is gourmet feasting in five-star restaurants wearing top-drawer fashions with wines to accompany each course etc etc etc… but I still feel and believe the ultimate luxury is more so “pool food” in style. NO guilt in such indulgence, wiping ketchup on a beach towel, not fretting over fries and trusting in the fact that the meal would not be over until a Gold Brick Sundae was consumed. That y’all, that is true luxury!
Now I worry about carbs… or too much sugar… and my blood pressure. I think about the extra sprints which I’ll have to schlep my grown, adult self’s large frame up and down my driveway in red-faced, asthmatic style. Not as children did we worry about calories and carbs. We’d swim it off (how hungry swimming made us!) or run it off but not by running in LuLu Lemon – just exerting ourselves. That carefree, summertime fun in the sun was truly luxurious – and we didn’t even know it. Ahhh – blissful ignorance!
Sea Island remains a special place to me. We have wonderful interior projects down there, I enjoy reading and taking time off there and socializing with friends. But I have not outgrown my love of a Gold Brick Sundae. So much so, that I have been on a quest to find the Gold Brick sauce recipe. There are many that I have tried but no dice… not until this past weekend did I strike gold with the simplest recipe resulting in as close to being wrapped in a Sea Island towel with the warm sun on your face.
I was overthinking and thus overcomplicating the method. I was thinking milk and cream and intricate layers and steps and chocolate flown in from Switzerland… much simpler y’all… as is the case with so much in life. Good butter, good chocolate and toasted, chopped pecans. Melt the butter, stir in the chocolate and pecans and serve over ice cream. It hardens over the cold ice cream and I’m ashamed to admit how much I’ve in the last few days. Plus, it stores in the fridge for a couple weeks.
As summer is in high, full swing, make some Gold Brick Sundaes and DO NOT worry about anything or maybe some other childhood indulgence. Enjoy the dish with childlike enthusiasm and share with friends and family. Even throw on your bathing suit, take a towel out of the dryer and let the ice cream drip. So what if your family thinks you’re crazy – you’re just being a kid again. Happy Summer y’all!
Makes a heaping two cups and easily doubles
1 cup of toasted, chopped pecans and lightly salted
½ pound (two sticks) unsalted butter
¼ pound milk chocolate (I used the Ghirardelli chips)
¼ pound semi-sweet dark chocolate (I used the Ghirardelli chips)
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, remove from heat and add chocolate and nuts. Serve over good vanilla ice cream, with strawberries or just spoon it out of the jar! Y’all enjoy!
