Four for Dinner

I have a new favorite hot fudge sauce. After years of using the same chocolate sauce (which is still fabulous and I haven’t given it up), I’ve found the thick, rich, chewy hot fudge sauce for which I have searched – for years.

It is smooth, in spite of the fact that it uses cocoa. It is rich, despite the fact that it doesn’t include an excessive amount of butter and has no cream. It has a thick, velvety quality that might normally come from the addition of corn syrup – but that isn’t in the recipe, either (yea!).

When it hits your ice cream, it sets up, but doesn’t completely harden (like a ganache would). This sauce works well inside of and on the side with our secret family ice cream cake – no thin sauce will do for that!

Need I say more?

Hot Fudge Sauce
adapted from The Joy of Chocolate, by Judith Olney
makes approximately 2 cups

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder, can be dutch processed for richer color
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken into chunks
3/4 cup sugar
pinch Kosher salt
1 5 oz. can evaporated milk (or 5 oz. from a regular size can)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. When the butter has thoroughly melted, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Add the unsweetened chocolate. Stir until melted. If it doesn’t all melt, heat gently, stirring, until it is completely melted. Add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Then stir in the evaporated milk.

Return the saucepan to the stove and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the sauce starts bubbling. Boil for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Let cool a bit before serving warm over ice cream.

This sauce can be refrigerated and reheated.