There’s just something about a brownie a la mode. We plated them up the way my midwest childhood remembers best; still-warm, chewy Blonde Brownies with a generous scoop of Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla ice cream and a slow pour of homemade chocolate sauce that made the whole kitchen go quiet. Everyone took a bite and just melted. It was rich. Messy. Joyful. Like summer evenings and porch swings and birthday parties when you still believed in magic.
The brownies had cooled while we lingered at the dinner table. I left them on the counter while we ate, and I’m so glad I did. They settled just enough to hold their shape, with edges that stayed soft and centers that stayed gooey. When dessert time rolled around, we didn’t need plates. Just forks and that sauce.
Now about that sauce, I need you to understand: this is not just a topping. This is a lifestyle. I plan on spooning it over pancakes, pouring over strawberries, stirring it into coffee, and considering drizzling it over some nice warm bread. It’s the kind of chocolate sauce that makes you dream up new excuses to open the fridge. Joanna says it keeps for up to three weeks, but let’s be real: OMG. It’ll be gone long before then.
Both recipes Blonde Brownies and Homemade Chocolate Sauce come from Magnolia Table Volume 3, and if you ask me, they belong together forever. A match made in dessert heaven.
A Few Notes from My Kitchen:
- I used a chopped semisweet chocolate bar instead of chips, and the little pockets of melted chocolate were everything.
- Make the brownies an hour or two before dinner and let them sit on the counter while you eat. Trust me on this one.
- The chocolate sauce comes together in like ten minutes and will make you feel like a chocolatier. Double it if you’re feeding a crowd (or just yourself on a Tuesday).
- Store the sauce in a mason jar and try not to open the fridge every ten minutes for “just one more spoonful.”
- These brownies travel well. Consider wrapping them up and sharing with a neighbor… or don’t. I wouldn’t blame you.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Make this now
A forever favorite. Instant classic. Feels like something Joanna would bring to your porch in a casserole dish (or a cute little bottle), just because.
Gracefully yours,
Meal & Grace 