Dallas Desserts Valentine's Day Edition: John Ross's Brownie-Blondie Sundae

Dallas Desserts is a collaboration with Dallas Decoder, the top fan site for classic Dallas and TNT Dallas. 

At the end of the second season of TNT's Dallas revival (which returns for its third season February 24), John Ross is really living up to his reputation as a bad boy. He'd just married Pamela Barnes, daughter of longtime Ewings' foe Cliff Barnes, but could not resist getting a little sugar on the side from Emma Ryland, daughter of his uncle Bobby's wife, Ann. He's his daddy's son through and through.

Along those lines, this is John Ross's perfect Valentine's Day sundae: anchored by a rich chocolate brownie with roasted peanuts...and a decadent peanut butter blondie with chocolate chips. With this sundae, the heir to the Ewing Oil legacy can have his cake and eat it too. Topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate sauce, chopped peanuts and whipped cream, this is as rich and delicious as the young Mr. Ewing himself.

John's Ross's Brownie-Blondie Sundae

1 3-inch square fudge brownie with peanuts (see recipe below)
1 3-inch square peanut butter blondie with chocolate chips (see recipe below)
1 generous scoop of vanilla ice cream
Drizzle of dark chocolate sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 chopped roasted peanuts
Sweetened whipped cream (see recipe here)

Place a brownie in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Top with a blondie (heat in the microwave for 20 second if desired). Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the blondie. Drizzle the whole thing with chocolate sauce. Scatter chopped peanuts over the sundae and top with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Fudge Brownies with Peanuts
Adapted from Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts, Bon Appétit

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 13 X 9 baking dish with aluminum foil and butter the foil.

2. Heat 3/4 cup butter in a heavy large saucepan (at least 2 1/2 quarts) over low heat. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Fold in the flour, then the nuts.

3. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Place a rack to cool then cut into squares.

Peanut Butter Blondies
Adapted from a recipe by Jen's Favorite Cookies

1/4 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup (3 oz.) peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine butter, peanut butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Beat on medium-high until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed well. Add salt and flour and beat on low speed until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

3. Line a 9 X 9 square baking dish with aluminum foil and brush with butter. Press dough into the baking dish. Bake until the top and edges are brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into squares.

Dark Chocolate Sauce
Adapted from The Best Chocolate Sauce Recipe, David Lebovitz

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Whisk together water, sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. When the mixture just boils, remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.