Homemade Hot fudge sauce is a lot like organizing old photos to me-- I always mean to make it, but I never do. Until last week. D and I were preparing for a dinner party, and we decided to throw all norms aside and make a chocolate sauce for our profiteroles (the most underrated and easiest dessert on earth). We read a few recipes and combined a few of our favorites. The sauce was scrumptious (or "scrump" as my friend AB used to say). When all was said and done, D and I realized one thing: we can never go back to store-bought fudge sauce. My recipe is below. There can be so many variations on a fudge sauce. At some point I'll add cinnamon for a Mexican flare, but I'll wait for the perfect ice cream flavor (dulce de leche, perhaps?).
Our First Hot Fudge Sauce
1/2 cup butter
four ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (I use Baker's, unless I'm feeling particularly snotty--then I reach for the Scharffen Berger.)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
Chop baking chocolate into smaller pieces (I'm not specific about this, but the smaller the pieces, the faster it will melt). Over double broiler (with water on simmer), melt chocolate and butter. When both butter and chocolate are completely melted, add vanilla and sugar. Stir until completely blended. At this point, the mix will be strangely thick. Add evaporated milk and continue stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. At this point, I pour the hot fudge into a jar and store it in our fridge. It keeps for a couple of months (that does not mean it lasts for a couple of months). I love this fudge sauce so much that when no one is looking, I sneak a spoonful just to fill my chocolate craving. And wouldn't you know it does the trick every time.
This all makes me wonder--do you buy pre-fab fudge sauce, or do you insist on the real deal?
