Garland Griffin is an intelligent, beautiful young woman with a secret that’s going to change the course of John Welles’s life. When Garland and John first meet at the University of Maryland, where both are pursuing studies to become doctors, the pair develops an instant rivalry over grades. A chance encounter at a speakeasy leaves the duo unsure of where they stand with each other, but it is the unwelcome growing attraction they feel that catches both off their guard.

Over a tulip sundae at the soda shop, Garland observes John and his two best friends, Sam and Claude, and comes to the decision that although she’s experiencing feelings for her fellow student, what she needs is John’s presence in her life as cover for her dark secret.

The following recipe for hot fudge sauce is the one I had in mind when I wrote the above-mentioned scene. There are other delicious toppings I could have chosen for Garland, but she needed a selection as dark and sultry as herself.

Hot Fudge Sauce

⅔ c heavy cream

½ c light corn syrup

⅓ c dark brown sugar

¼ c Dutch-processed cocoa powder

¼ t sea salt

¾ c bittersweet chocolate (chopped and divided in half if using blocks. I used Ghirardelli chips.)

2 T unsalted butter

2 t vanilla

Bring the heavy cream, light corn syrup, dark brown sugar, cocoa, salt, and half the bittersweet chocolate to a boil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Bubbles should rise slowly to the surface. Stir occasionally to keep from scorching the sauce. Cook for five minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Cool in the saucepan or a shallow dish for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring to an airtight container for storage in the refrigerator. The sauce will last for two weeks. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove over low heat or in the microwave for 30 second increments until it is pourable but thick.

Enjoy!