The Family Recipe Box
Every family has The One. That legendary recipe. The one that shows up at every gathering, passed down through generations and known by heart. At some point, it becomes more than just food—it’s a plateful of memories, a bowlful of love, a recipe for connection.
In our Family Recipe Box series, we celebrate a different Allrecipes Allstar each month by sharing the story behind their treasured family dish—along with everything you need to bring it to your table, too. Because recipes this meaningful deserve to be passed on. And at Allrecipes, you’re part of the family.
Name: Maura Rawlette
Location: King George, Virginia
Family recipe: Quick and Easy Hot Fudge Sauce
Who developed this recipe: Dorothy, aka Great Aunt Dotsie (her grandmother’s aunt)
When it became a family tradition: 1975
Some recipes are worth holding onto forever—especially the ones that are simple, soul-satisfying, and tied to cherished family memories. While Ina Garten reminds us that store-bought is fine for plenty of things, there are moments—like this one—when nothing can hold a candle to homemade. Allrecipes Allstar Maura Rawlette’s treasured hot fudge sauce takes just five minutes and delivers the kind of rich, nostalgic flavor no jar can match.
Around age 4, Rawlette began spending a lot of time at the home of Charles and Dorothy Cohen in Kinsale, Virginia, where “Uncle Charles’ Sauce” was a staple on the dessert menu, especially atop ice cream. Technically the aunt and uncle of Rawlette’s grandmother, this duo’s love story is sweet: Dorothy (aka Great Aunt Dotsie) and Charles married in 1973, when they were both in their 60s. They both lived to be in their 90s. And for those 30 blissful years, the couple had the secret sauce. Literally.
This fudge sauce is so meaningful due to all the years of all the parties with family members that are no longer here. It’s a way to bring all the memories and loved ones back in thoughts with the current family.
Allrecipes / Maura Rawlette
For as long as Rawlette can remember, Great Aunt Dotsie’s Quick and Easy Hot Fudge Sauce has been a family tradition. “It was my Great Uncle Charles’ favorite sauce on his cakes, and often made appearances at family gatherings. That’s where I first tried it,” Rawlette says. Over the years, it melted into so many fond memories that now, recreating the sauce is a way to pay tribute to those who are no longer seated with them at the table.
“This fudge sauce is so meaningful due to all the years of all the parties with family members that are no longer here. It’s a way to bring all the memories and loved ones back in thoughts with the current family,” says Rawlette, a mom of two boys.
The family’s favorite fudge tradition lives on after Great Aunt Dotsie has passed because Rawlette’s grandmother kept all of her recipe cards. These have since been passed down to her mom, and now, to Rawlette herself. Once she was blessed with the beloved recipe, Rawlette learned the secret that makes this five-minute dessert sauce so delicious: “Instead of using powdered cocoa, Great Aunt Dotsie’s hot fudge features a richer block of dark chocolate, which melts so beautifully.”
We’re already dreaming about drizzling it on sundaes, layering it into Ice Cream Lasagna, adding it to Easy Ice Cream Cake, and using it as a dipping sauce for Churros.
As written, this recipe takes 5 minutes to make, Rawlette reveals, and while she admits it is tempting to tinker with it, she always asks herself, “Why mess with success?”
“Great Aunt Dotsie has perfected it, so I enjoy it how she—and my grandma and mom—did,” Rawlette says. “My only minor change is to use salted instead of unsalted butter!”
Allrecipes / Kim Shupe
Great Aunt Dotsie’s Quick and Easy Hot Fudge Sauce
Yield: 1/2 cup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 ounce (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate baking bar, 100% cocoa
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sugar
Directions
- In a small pot over medium-high heat, melt together butter, chocolate, water, and vanilla while stirring.
- Gradually stir in the sugar until it is melted and bubbling; cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly. Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat gently.
Cook’s Note
When sauce cools, it may become grainy. To fix, reheat gently in the microwave in 5-second increments, stirring after each time.
